3 Things You Can Do to Have Success With Independent Reading This Year

ONE. Develop a plan to get every kid paired with a book.

I used to expect that kids could just peruse my classroom library shelves and pick a book that was magical and perfect for them. But it turned out that I was wrong. For 90% of kids, that strategy led to most students abandoning their choice within a week, and then there was a merry-go-round of picking a new book and quickly tossing it back in the book return bin. Enter: NEW PLAN. Dedicate a week in the first month of school to kicking off independent reading. Do a bunch of book talks and one or two book tasting activities. Give students the opportunity to really get to know titles and pick one that's right for them.

TWO: Choose an accountability system you can maintain.

Reading logs? Monthly book projects? Nope. Those weren't for me. I personally can't manage complicated systems or extra grading. What I needed was a SUPER SIMPLE system that held kids accountable for their reading progress but didn't suck the fun out of it. Enter: page goals! With a weekly roll call, I assign and grade students (on the spot!) for their reading progress using a very basic system that I created (and share in my TpT shop). Check it out there or take a look at my pinned Instagram post for more info. Just like adults, kids need to be held accountable. I think it's silly to expect all kids to read consistently without a little motivation. However, that motivation doesn't need to be annoying or punitive.

THREE: Build a reading community.

By offering consistent time for reading, doing weekly book talks, and planning quarterly book tastings, kids will be immersed in the world of great books. They will naturally find a genre or author they enjoy. The excitement and enthusiasm from the majority of the class around reading will nudge those super reluctant kiddos in the right direction. Be consistent. Be enthusiastic. And share, share, share about books. Use my book talk guides to feel like an expert in middle grade and young adult texts. You will be AMAZED by how many students you convert into enthusiastic readers during the year.

Happy back to school!

XO,

Kara

P.S. This FREE Student Reading Survey is a must-use at the start of the year, too!