Atomic Reading Habits: Part IV
Welcome to my final post about building atomic reading habits with your students! Today’s building block is arguably the least tangible, but also most important to maintaining any habit. If you are just tuning in, hop on over to this post to learn how reading James Clear’s novel, Atomic Habits, not only changed my life, but also changed the way I think about independent reading in my classroom. Let’s dive in!
Make It Satisfying.
If we, as humans, are going to continue to do something over and over again, without an imminent threat, then the action must provide us with some sort of satisfaction and positive feeling. So, when it comes to building a community of readers in your classroom that truly wants to read, I have found several independent reading routines and structures that help.
Tip #1
Build excitement around reading through captivating book talks. ‘Book Talk Tuesday’ is a sacred time in my classroom. Each talk is 8-10 minutes of the period when students are completely silent, calm, at ease, and engaged. A book talk consists of a cover preview, a read-aloud of the back cover summary, and most importantly, a read-aloud of several pages of the novel. Carefully selected ahead of time, these pages best showcase the characters, writing style, and conflict of the novel. I am very intentional about choosing read-aloud pages that I know will hook students and show them the best of what the story has to offer. This inevitably leads to a long waiting list for book checkout and a lot of excited kiddos. Book Talk Tuesday is almost always students’ favorite part of class each week. There is no better strategy to transform apathetic students into avid readers.
Tip #2
Create time each class for silent independent reading. You must consistently provide time for students to engage in incredible stories. I strongly believe that the pull of technology and other distractions is simply too great to expect young students to read entirely on their own, outside of school. However, if they have the opportunity to start that incredible chapter, or get to that page-turning climax, then they are far more likely to continue their reading at home. So, while I do expect my students to do some reading for homework, I also always provide time in class as well. It is a guaranteed opportunity for all students, and you will see over time how much students come to enjoy and look forward to a calm and quiet time to enjoy their novel.
Tip #3
Encourage conversations around reading. In my opinion, one of the most satisfying parts of reading is sharing what you’ve enjoyed, been surprised by, or laughed at with others. We must provide opportunities for students to talk about their books with us or with classmates. Better yet, let students do the work of sharing great titles with their friends and chatting about the hilarious or heartbreaking moments together. I love nothing more than seeing students whisper to each other during reading time, pointing to particular passages that they want a friend to read. Last year, I had several boys who, at the beginning of the year, proclaimed they hated reading, all passing around titles to one another like Tyrell and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Sharing in a reading experience is satisfying!
Tip #4
Every once in a while, throw in a prize! While I certainly believe that enjoying a great book is the ultimate prize, I also like to use this Genre BINGO Board to encourage my students to branch out of their reading comfort zones and explore different genres. I don’t believe that offering incentives for reading is a good strategy for very reluctant readers, but I do think that this BINGO board is a fun way to motivate students who enjoy reading to explore different sections of the library! Give it a try! As prizes, I offer many Target Dollar Spot items, such as pairs of socks, fun stickers, stress balls, and mini puzzles!
Using these strategies in your classroom will undoubtedly, over time, make reading a satisfying component of your class. Building good habits, according to James Clear, is about slowly transforming a habit into a part of a person’s identity. As students in your class gradually form a habit of reading because reading is obvious, easy, attractive, and satisfying in your room, then, eventually, your students will identify as readers.
THIS is the ultimate goal when building and maintaining habits. And it is so very possible. I’ve seen students become brand-new readers, resurrect their reading identity that was lost somewhere in elementary school, and strengthen the reading identity they had already claimed. Helping students build their reading habits is my most rewarding work as an educator, and I hope the tips I have offered here will serve you and your students as well as they’ve served me.
♥ RileyReadsYA ♥