Hands down, my favorite part of class is our independent reading time. We read at the end of our class period (doing it at the start of class just never worked for me) for 10 minutes daily, and there's just so many things I love about it.
I love helping students select a book that's just right for them. I love watching students become totally engrossed in what they are reading and not want to pack up to go to their next class. I love hearing students share about what happening to the character in their book. I love seeing a student pick up a new book based on a peer's recommendation. I love letting students have a break from the noise of learning and just sit in quiet. I love the chance for the students (and for myself) to turn off for a few minutes. I love getting to model a love of reading for students by reading right alongside them.
What Our Independent Reading Routine Looks Like
Students have 10 minutes of independent reading daily. During this time students read a self-selected book. Students are also welcome to listen to audiobooks. If we are in the midst of a whole class novel or literature circles, students can choose to read that book to get a start on their assigned chapters for homework, or read a book of their choice.
If students forget their self-selected book, they can choose a comic or magazine to read for that class period. I have binders in our classroom library these organized in plastic sleeves for easy access. When we read a novel as a whole class or for literature circles, I have extra copies of assigned novels students can borrow.
Books & Managing Our Classroom Library
Most students read a book from our classroom library, but students are also welcome to bring in a book from home. Students check books in and out using BookSource, a free online site where I have cataloged the books in our classroom library. Students return books to a book return bin (or the hospital bin if it needs repairs) and I reshelve the books. Read more about how I organize my classroom library here.
Part of our routine at the start of the week is for students to update BookSource and pick out a new independent reading book if needed. Of course, there may be times that students also need to do that during the week. Students build TBR lists throughout the year in a variety of ways, so most know what they are looking for when they head to the bookshelf, but if a student is taking more than a minute or two to find a book, I intervene and pick out a stack of books for them to browse based on their interests and recent reads.
Groups During Independent Reading
Groups are always going on, even during my independent reading time. One group of students sits on the rug (the only flexible seating in my classroom) while another group checks in with me at my small group table. I have 24-25 students in each of my classes so I meet with about 5 students daily and get to see all of my students by the end of the week.
Meeting with students weekly helps me keep tabs on who is reading what, check in to see if they are enjoying their books, and make recommendations. I also give feedback on students’ responses to previous exit tickets. With some groups I do a more structured mini lesson to target weak skills.
After checking in, we'll just sit and read together. On my board I have a lineup of what I just finished reading, what I'm listening to, what I'm currently reading, and what I'm going to read next, so there's always a book for me to grab. Because I meet with every student each week, I haven't found the need to hold more formal reading conferences with students.
Read more about my small groups during independent reading here.
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