Deepening Thinking About Independent Reading

Penny Kittle is a firm believer that we, as teachers, should bring our own reading lives into the classroom to show our students what we are passionate about. She says that no amount of explicit skill instruction can replace the experience of hearing, reading, learning, and living in a great number of stories. Kids do not grow as readers when they are not reading!

Mrs. Kittle says we need to get to know our students as readers. Day one in her classroom, all hands are on books. Not reading is NOT an option. Everyone reads at least 10 minutes every single day. This is essential independent practice. The more they do this, the more likely they are to read at home. They must write about what they are reading as this will help them with their understanding of the book and allows us to check for misconceptions. We need to conference with our students about what they are reading. She suggests conferencing with two or three students while the others are reading quietly. It is very important that we give students time to read in class. This helps students not suffer from “word poverty”. See graphic below.

Technology is teaching students to skim, therefore they are not learning how to read with stamina. The best thing teachers can do for students to prepare them for college is to get them to love reading. Building stamina in pleasure reading improves a student’s ability to read more complex text. One idea Mrs. Kittle shared with us is to create a “Book Club” in your classroom. In the book club, students are given a list of 5 or 6 books to choose from; however, they may chose a different book if it fits the criteria we are looking for. She suggests reading one book as a class, one book as a book club or lit circle, and at least one that they read on their own. Teachers need to “curate” our classroom. Our classroom should look like a place that belongs to readers. The library matters! Our classroom library should supplement the school library and needs to work for students. Get your students involved - let them organize the library in a manner that best suits their needs and they will be able to find what they want. Think about creating a wish list of books that students would like to see added to your collection - “What Should I Buy Next?” Have students recommend books to other students - dedicate a shelf to these books. Give book talks every day and have students book talk their favorite books. Readers need to have a choice. Mrs. Kittle gives a grade for reading. She passes around a clipboard and students write down what page they are on. Each students’ goal will be different depending on how fast they are able to read and understand what they are reading. READING IS MANDATORY - NOT OPTIONAL. Confer with students about reading every single day!