One of my most significant accomplishments in the classroom was my independent reading program. For thirty minutes every week, as students read you could hear a pin drop in my classroom. Sure, not every kid turned into a voracious reader, but they all at least pretended to look like they were reading. In this post, I will walk you through the steps of creating your own independent reading program.
Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #1: Build a Classroom Library
You don’t need to have a huge classroom library to begin, but it definitely helps if you have a few books on hand.
I started my independent reading program with probably a dozen or so books. I know. It was awful.
While my classroom library got its footing, I used my school’s library. We went during the first week of school and then at least twice a quarter after that. I was also liberal with library passes–especially for students who were actually reading during our independent reading time.
You can probably guess, however, the downsides of relying on your school’s library. To start, you might not even have one. And if you do, it’s probably frequently closed for standardized testing, other classes, or presentations.
Plus, students will take their sweet time with those library passes and miss out on lots of instruction time.
This is why starting your classroom library early is best.
Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #2: Decide How Often Students Will Read
There are typically two camps when it comes to when students will read.
There are pros and cons to both options. You’ll need to think about your students, the length of your classes, and your own classroom procedures to make the best decision.
The first option is to have students read once a week (the time allotted will depend on your class length).
My classes were on ninety-minute blocks; my students were mostly reluctant readers. Therefore, I chose to read once a week (every Wednesday) for thirty minutes with my students.
Thirty minutes in a ninety-minute class doesn’t sound like much, but time flies! By the time I did a book talk, asked students to retrieve or pick out a book, and got the class actually silent, we had usually used up fifteen minutes of class. Then we still had to read.
Because I had so many reluctant readers, this was the best option for me. I always had students who were slow to grab books, forgot theirs, or picked a new one every week. For these reasons, I would have wasted way too much time if I had tried to read every day with my kiddos.
The second option, popularized by the great Penny Kittle, is to start every class period with ten minutes of reading.
If you’re in a school or have a class with strong readers, well-behaved students, or advanced courses, everyday reading might be a great option.
If students know to come in and start reading, that provides an excellent opportunity for you to take attendance, deal with any issues, and do a quick check of your email before beginning class in earnest if you need to.
Plus, reading is a daily warm-up that will always be worthwhile.
So think about your students and your class format. Then decide when and for how long students will read. Stick to this schedule every day or every week, so students won’t be surprised.
Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #3: Choose Student Tasks
Once you have students reading, you need to give them a task.
What task(s) you give students will depend on how heavily you want independent reading to feature in their grades.
Personally, I just wanted students to read. I didn’t want independent reading to be a reason a student could fail. So I just gave students simple exit tickets like these reading strategies exit tickets or story elements exit tickets.
These forced students to review some basic concepts and connect them to their reading without taking up a ton of class time.
Reading logs are another low-stakes task and an absolute must if you expect students to read at home independently.
You could also do some end-of-the-year projects with your students about their independent reading novels. Maybe students will do a study of the author they read. Or maybe you can have them write their own epilogue or sequel.
But unless you have a room full of intrinsically motivated students or engaged readers, you’ll probably have to give students a task to make sure they actually read.
Need more ideas? Check out this post with independent reading activity ideas.
Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #4: Create a Classroom Management Plan
Having a classroom management plan is essential for an independent reading program.
What happens if a student forgets his or her book? If a student refuses to read? What if a student is absent–does he or she have to make it up?
And what will happen if students become distracting during independent reading?
Will you display a timer on your projector? (I recommend it!)
(Want a play-by-play of the first day of independent reading in my classroom? Read this post!)
I was pretty laid back in my room, but when it came to independent reading, I didn’t play any games.
Every week before reading time, I reviewed the expectations. There were no headphones or talking aloud. You had to have a book in your hand.
And students had two choices: read silently and participate or go to the dean’s office. I worked this out with my dean ahead of time and warned her during the first few weeks that there would be an influx of students until they learned their lesson.
I think participating in independent reading should be rewarding. Sometimes I made students hot chocolate while they read. I turned off the big fluorescent lights and opted for soft lamp lighting instead. It was a cozy way to spend part of the day.
But I didn’t let any of my students who became distracting get away with it. If a student was distracting or flat out refused to leave, they had to leave my room. (If a student pretended to read and was otherwise not a problem, I just pretended to believe they were reading.)
Decide your non-negotiables and let those be the hills upon which you are ok dying.
Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #5: Model
This is the best part of independent reading: modeling being a good reader!
It might take a few weeks of reviewing expectations and procedures, but once your students start reading, you should too!
Try not to use this time to grade or email parents. Instead, pick up a young adult book (that way you can recommend or talk about it later), and read.
Sometimes I read and moved around the classroom. If a student was trying to whisper or pass a note to a friend, I took my book and leaned against the wall near them. Usually, that proximity shut it down without confrontation (or forcing me to put down my book!)
When my students were really, really good, I could even get lost in a book of my own for a while.
A lot of our students don’t see adults in their lives read. So be that positive role model for reading.
Start Your Independent Reading Program Step #6: Share Books and Let Students Share Books
Some of your students won’t know what kind of books they like or what’s available to them. So start by sharing!
Before each reading session, I always gave a quick book talk about two different novels. This exposed students to more reading options (and gave the kids that forgot a book inspiration for what they’ll read that day instead).
I even gave students a blank To Be Read sheet (from my Back-to-School Stations) at the beginning of the year to keep track of titles that they might want to read one day.
Once students have been reading for a while, you can give them opportunities to share out about their books, too. You can simply ask “Who’s loving their book?” after a reading session.
Or you can turn it into a whole activity. For example, you can have students make Instagram posts about the best book they read during the year and hang them up around the room.
Formally or informally, give students a chance to share their thoughts and evaluate whatever it is that they’re reading.
Conclusion
Setting up an independent reading program isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll need to create a very specific classroom management plan and stick to it consistently. You’ll also need to consistently follow your independent reading schedule if you want students to be prepared for it.
But once those routines are in place, an independent reading program can bring actual joy to your classroom–and to teaching. Isn’t talking about books why many of us pursued this career? Give you and your students the opportunity to do just that.