As with anything in the classroom, high and clear expectations are a must when it comes to students’ independent reading time. Independent reading time is so important. Students need time to read books of their choice at their level for sustained periods of time, and we just can’t count on students getting this time outside of the classroom. Families are busy, and unfortunately, many students are not reading outside of school. Set your students up for success by giving them consistent, prolonged periods of independent reading! The following tips will help you get the most out of your independent reading time with high independent reading expectations!
Set High and Clear Independent Reading Expectations
Clear expectations are a must when it comes to independent reading time. This is true for everything you do in the classroom! Make sure you set your expectations high. Make them very clear. Then stick to them, and maintain them through the course of the year! It can be tempting to loosen the reigns when students master a routine. Don’t give into the temptation! It will be twice as hard to work your way back once kids realize you’ve let up on your expectations.
Expectation #1
Our first independent reading expectation is that students need to have all their reading materials at the ready before the reading period starts. We ask that students have at least two independent reading books. If a student finishes their book during the reading period, you want them to have a new one with them ready to read.
Students should also have a pencil and some type of reading response material. This could be post-its, a reader’s response notebook, an interactive reading log, etc. If students don’t have these items with them, they will be moving about the room to gather them during independent reading time. This is not only distracting for other students, but it disrupts their own reading time and negatively impacts their reading stamina.
Expectation #2
Pick a seat and stay. You want your students to be comfortable when they are reading. We like to allow our students a choice in where they sit during the reading period. With that being said, the seat they chose is the seat they must remain in until the reading period is over. Again, if you have students moving about the room during independent reading, it breaks their concentration and the concentration of those around them. You always want to be building that reading stamina!
Expectation #3
Use the restroom and get a drink before independent reading starts. We all have students who suddenly need a drink or suddenly need to use the restroom when it’s time for independent reading. We do not allow restroom breaks during independent reading. Our students know they need to use the restroom before independent reading time begins. If they choose not to, they will have to wait until the reading period is over. This stops the endless stream of restroom and drink breaks during a time when you want students to really focus in on their reading and build their stamina. This will be really hard for some kids, but maintain your expectations, and they will rise to them.
Expectation #4
Students are only allowed to interrupt our independent reading and small group time for emergencies. This is another one that will be really hard for some children. These are typically the students who need you to maintain this expectation the most. They need someone to hold them accountable in order to really build up that reading stamina.
Building Stamina and Maintaining Your Independent Reading Expectations
In addition to setting and maintaining high expectations for your independent reading period, you must monitor for stamina. Just like marathon runners don’t just go out and run a marathon one day, we can’t expect our students to just come to school ready to read for prolonged periods of time. Marathon runners build up their endurance over time. They gradually add more miles to their run each day. In the same way, our students need to build up their reading endurance. They need time to gradually add more minutes to their independent reading time each day.
We always start this at the beginning of the year, but often we have to start this process over again after a long break. We typically spend the first few weeks of school simply monitoring our students during independent reading time and intervening when necessary to aid in building students’ stamina. We do not start small group instruction until our students can maintain their reading stamina on their own for the full duration of the reading period. For some classes this only takes a couple weeks. For other classes, it can take a month. Don’t rush it. The time you put in building your students’ reading stamina will come back to you tenfold! The same is true for holding onto those high independent reading expectations.
Looking for more small group inspiration now that you’ve mastered your independent reading expectations?
- If you’re trying to figure out how you can possibly make time for small groups this post is for you! We’ll show you how you can find time for three math and three ELA small groups each day!
- Set yourself up for small group success by working through these 3 steps to prepare for small group instruction.
- If you need tips for how to organize your students into groups, read this post!
- Not sure what to do with the rest of the class while you run your small groups, here are 10 ideas that make the most of your time and your students’ time!
- Wondering how to rotate your students in small groups? This post is for you!
