Independent Reading
The benefits of having students reading independently are numerous. Independent reading helps students become accurate, fluent readers, builds background knowledge, increases vocabulary, and gives students time to practice the skills and strategies they are learning.
Independent reading time is not unstructured, like SSR or DEAR, but rather, follows a set of guidelines and operates within a reading workshop. Students select books with teacher input, write responses to the texts they read, and receive conference time with their teacher. Below is a suggested schedule for grades K-1 and 2-3.
Independent reading time is not unstructured, like SSR or DEAR, but rather, follows a set of guidelines and operates within a reading workshop. Students select books with teacher input, write responses to the texts they read, and receive conference time with their teacher. Below is a suggested schedule for grades K-1 and 2-3.
K-1 Reading Workshop Schedule
Read-aloud or shared reading before reading workshop First mini-workshop (25 minutes)
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2-3 Reading Workshop Schedule
First Independent Reading (20 minutes) Meeting (Whole Group Session) (50 minutes) Reading Workshop (60 minutes)
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Tips for Teachers
- The read-aloud and shared reading should be separate from the workshop and the mini-lesson should serve as a review of a skill that had been taught previously.
- Each student will have a "book bag" with a wide selection of books that the student will read during independent reading.
- Students should have a combination of Just-Right books at their reading level, “Look” books which students can’t read on their own but can still learn from, and easy books.
- Level your books for emergent, early, transitional, and fluent readers. Place a sticker on each book to help you remember the level of the book.
- Conference time should be used to meet with students and discuss what has been happening with their reading. This is also time to update their book bags and switch some of the old books with new ones.
Try It Out!
Before implementing independent reading in your classroom, click here to try it out first!
Taberski, S. (2011). Time to read: Getting independent reading right. In Comprehension from the ground up: Simplified, sensible instruction for the K-3 reading workshop (pp. 28-65). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.