Making Independent Reading Work… Online
Wow, what a time to be an educator! Just when we thought things couldn’t be more challenging 😅, am I right?
This certainly will be tough, but I know we’ll get through it because we will lean on each other, vent when necessary, and most importantly, get creative. I’m pretty sure that teachers are some of the most resourceful professionals out there, and that brings me to the topic of this post: making independent reading work online.
As I took some time to think about how I will foster a reading community and love for literature online, I had to start with a deep breath. I needed to acknowledge that my reading community this year will not look like my community last year. It simply won’t. And I think acknowledging that things will be different and imperfect this year gives us all permission to relax and have some fun with what we can do online.
In everything I plan and create for independent reading, I keep two goals in mind, and I’d encourage you to use these goals as your “guiding light,” too.
I want kids to fall in love with the power of a good story. I want to make reading cool and exciting again, like it was in elementary school during story time.
I want kids to read more. Duh! (But, honestly, this is an important one to remember, especially when district mandates start to weigh down reading programs with logs, book reports, and an endless amount of “accountability checks.”
So, with these goals in the forefront of my mind, here is how I envision independent reading in my online classroom (because yes, I do imagine that I will be online in at least some capacity this year).
I will begin the year as I always do--with book talks. Book talks are magical. They changed my teaching career forever, and truthfully play a tremendous role in keeping me excited about a job that is really dang hard. The reason book talks are magical is because they truly do inspire students to read--even students who “hate” reading and don’t see themselves as readers.
This book talk bundle is printed and in a binder in my classroom, and opening to a new page every week is part of my planning routine. Book Talk Tuesdays will begin the first week of school to get kids excited about stories before I ever even give them a reading assignment. Build enthusiasm first.
Even if kids won’t have access to every book you book-talk, that’s okay. The goal here is to advertise books for your hungry readers who will do anything to get their hands on those titles, and to consistently spread the joy of literature for everyone else. Simply exposing students to exciting excerpts of great novels is important enough. We truly have to act as salespeople when it comes to independent reading, and book-talking is the ultimate “pitch.”
Speaking of exposing students to good books, THIS resource could be the perfect solution when we are missing our classroom shelves. These digital book bins are a great way to allow students to explore titles independently and as-needed.
You can grab it HERE.
Next, I would get each student set up with a public library card. Fortunately, this is easier now than ever. Do your homework before school starts. Go to your school district’s public library website and use your school address to get a library card. (I just did this myself last week). During this time of COVID-19, most libraries have made the process as simple as entering your name and address and then sending you your library card number via email! I plan to make this task an assignment for every student. They will literally have to submit their library card number to me in order to earn a classwork grade.
Once students have a library card number, you can get them set up on Hoopla, which is a website that can be used on a computer and an app for phones and tablets. Hoopla allows you to enter your public library card number and then, through your library, provides you with access to hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks for free! Before the school year starts, I would recommend previewing the young adult titles that the app has available so that you can be prepared to book-talk and recommend those books! The selections of titles available may vary depending on your library, so it is not a perfect solution, but it is a good option that I plan to use.
I also plan to lean on read-alouds a lot. This is going to be a stressful fall, if not a stressful year. Read-alouds build community, allow everyone to relax a bit, and, when chosen intentionally, can serve a tremendous role in building engagement around reading. I list my favorite read-aloud titles here.
To keep kids engaged in their reading, I plan to use the digital version of these Reading Response Journals. They’re quick, easy, and provide a simple opportunity to have conversations around text. During distance learning, in particular, I plan to encourage pairs or small groups of students to read the same book at the same time so that it is easier for me to monitor student progress and have conversations with students in small groups on Google Meets.
I’m also not opposed to thinking outside the box and offering students short stories and high-interest teen articles to read. Remember, Goal #2 is to get kids to read more. I honestly don’t care what students read, as long as they begin to see themselves as readers. Creating and maintaining that identity is ALWAYS my priority. So, if students are reading an article from TIME for Kids or the short story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers, I really don’t care! I just want students to be engaged and reading.
This system will certainly not be perfect, and I’m sure that once I’m in it, my suggestions will grow and change. But for now, I’m focusing on maintaining the attitude that we CAN do this. We CAN help students find joy in reading, even during this difficult time. I believe that reading is more important now than ever. It is a healthy escape, a break from video games, and a lifelong tool that students can use to educate themselves, think critically, and even escape from stress.
This year, let’s focus less on accountability and more on engagement. It’s what kids need. We’ve got this, and I’m here to chat and brainstorm any time.
Here’s to making it work!
♥ Kara & Riley
