5 Ways to Make Independent Reading Work in Your Language Arts Classroom
Make independent reading a consistent part of your class schedule.
For me, this means that every day when my students walk through the door, they immediately walk to their seats, open their books, and start reading for ten minutes. Some teachers set aside one day each week for independent reading. Some teachers finish their classes with reading. Different times will work for different teachers; just find a consistent time that works for you, and stick to it. Sitting quietly isn’t something that comes super naturally to a lot of our kids, so if it’s not consistent, your students will have to get used to it over and over again. It goes SO much more smoothly when it’s a consistent part of the schedule.
Have books from multiple genres available in your classroom.
Some students will always be reluctant to read during class, but we can eliminate as many excuses as possible by having a wide selection of books available for them to read. Can students bring books from home or check them out from the library? Of course! But for those who can’t or won’t, a few book recommendations from their favorite teacher can make all the difference.
Play non-melodic music as your students read.
This has been the biggest game-changer for my students’ behavior during reading time. For a lot of kids, silence is just . . . uncomfortable. Yes, they can learn to sit in silence with practice, but that’s not really my goal with reading time. My goal is to make the environment as comfortable and non-distracting as possible for reading. I’ve tried several different types of music over the years, and I 100% recommend playing spa music. Music with a melody (especially if it’s familiar) can distract students from comprehending their books, but spa music doesn’t have that same issue. It instantly calms my students and has made our reading time run so much more smoothly.
Provide audiobooks for students who prefer to listen.
I know some teachers will disagree with this advice, but I stand by what I said. Letting a kid listen to an audiobook in class will never make them less of a reader. If anything, it will help them fall in love with books and want to read more. I love audiobooks so much that I wrote a whole post about them. You can read it here!
Read when the kids read.
I know, I know. This feels like someone telling a new parent to “sleep when the baby sleeps.” There are so many other things to steal a teacher’s attention. So how about this—whenever you can, do your absolute best to let your students see you reading for pleasure. It is important to me that my students hear me laughing when a character in my book does something silly and they see me crying as I turn the last page. They trust my book recommendations because they have literally seen me reading the books myself. There may be times I get a call from the office. There may be times when I’m recommending a book to someone else. But whenever I can read, I read. Trust me. Time spent reading is time well spent.
What are your biggest challenges with independent reading in your classroom? Email me at distinguishedenglishteacher@gmail.com and we can chat!
