Reading workshop and independent reading time are an important part of the reading block.
I have never been the type to do things for the sake of doing them. Not just with teaching, but with everything. It is important that I see the value in what I do, and I get the most value possible. Basically, I always want to make sure I’m getting the most “bang for my buck”. This same mentality follows me into the classroom. One area, in particular, is independent reading time.
In my classroom, my students read daily, usually during guided reading time. There is at least a 45-minute block where students are reading or writing about their reading. This time in my room is not for games, centers, or anything else. It is just about reading!
Over the years, I have found a few simple activities that I incorporate into my Reading Workshop to make it more meaningful. Don’t let the word “simple” throw you off. By “simple”, I do not mean easy or tedious. These activities are simple for the teacher to implement, yet require the students to think deeply about what they are reading.
Why Independent Reading Time Needs Structure
Here is the thing nobody warns you about. Silent reading time can look wonderful and accomplish almost nothing.
Every classroom has a few students who have figured out how to turn pages at a believable speed without reading a word. They are not being sneaky on purpose. Usually the book is too hard, or they have lost the thread and do not know how to say so. From the front of the room, they look exactly like the students who are deep into a great book.
That is why I stopped treating independent reading as free time and started giving it a light structure. Not a packet. Not a worksheet that turns reading into a chore. Just enough that every student leaves a trace of their thinking, so I can tell the difference between reading and page turning.
The three activities below are what I settled on after a lot of years of trying things. Together they take almost no prep, and they changed what that 45 minutes was actually worth.
Sticky Notes: Coding Our Thoughts during Independent Reading
At the very beginning of the year, I do a lot of work with sticky notes and teach my students how to code their thinking as they read. This is critical during independent reading time.
My students use sticky notes to write and code their thoughts and ideas, and I use them to learn about how my students are reading their books. I ask that they stick the notes on the page where they had the thought, and leave them there until we discuss their book, or they are finished. These sticky notes are not turned in daily but are used during student and teacher conferring time, or during “book talks” when a student completes a book.
Once this process is taught during Reading Workshop, it is a great way to ensure students make their reading time meaningful. Sticky notes force students to really think about the book they are reading, and they hold them accountable for this time in the classroom.
Teaching the codes takes longer than you think
I used to introduce all the codes in one lesson and wonder why half the class was still writing “I liked this part” in November.
Now I add one code at a time. We spend a few days on a single symbol, I model it out loud with whatever I am reading aloud, and students practice that one code before we add another. It feels slow in September. By October, they are using them without being asked.
A few tips that saved me a lot of frustration:
Keep the notes short. If a student is writing a paragraph on a sticky note, they have stopped reading. One sentence is plenty, and the size of the note is doing the limiting for you.
Do not collect them daily. The whole point is that these belong to the student and stay in the book. The moment students think you are grading them, the notes turn into performance rather than thinking.
Have students choose their best two before a conference. That way they walk into a conference with something to say, and you are not flipping through thirty notes to find the interesting one.
Daily Comprehension Checks
Each day I write a question on the board for my students to think about as they read their books during their independent reading time. They are responsible for responding to the question on a sticky note and turning it in on our sticky note poster.
This activity allows me to quickly and informally assess their knowledge and understanding in regards to our current lesson. This activity is in addition to their other sticky notes.
The best part of this one is that it works with thirty different books at the same time. I am not asking about a specific chapter, I am asking about whatever skill we worked on that day. What is the main problem in your story right now? What is one thing you learned about your character today? Where does your author use a text feature and why?
Every student answers the same question about a completely different book, and I get a read on whether the mini lesson landed.
Sorting them takes about two minutes. Three piles: got it, almost, and needs help. That third pile is my small group tomorrow.
Fiction and Nonfiction Independent Reading Practice
At least one day each week, I ask my students to choose a short, Fiction or Nonfiction text for their reading time. I have a huge selection of books and articles for them to use.
Once they choose a text, they have to complete the activity sheet for that week while they read. The activity sheet is based on what we have learned in class, past or present. These sheets make my job way easier because they can be paired with any text the students choose, and they align perfectly with the skills I want to reinforce.
If you are in need of some FREE articles, you can check out my other post Websites for Nonfiction Reading for Kids.
One reason I lean on nonfiction for this is that most students pick fiction on their own, every single time, unless you nudge them. Making one day a week a choice between the two gets nonfiction into the rotation without banning anything.
If your students need help identifying how a nonfiction text is organized, that pairs well with the five nonfiction text structures and their signal words.
What About Reading Logs?
You may have noticed there is no reading log in any of this.
That is on purpose. A signed log tells you a parent signed a log. It does not tell you a child read, understood, or enjoyed anything. Everything above gives me better information than a log ever did, and none of it depends on a signature at the kitchen table.
I wrote more about that in why teachers should retire reading logs if this is a hill you are considering climbing at your school.
How to Start This in Your Classroom
Do not launch all three at once. I tried that, and it was chaos.
Weeks 1 and 2. Sticky notes only, and only one or two codes. Model it every single day during your read-aloud. Nothing gets collected.
Weeks 3 and 4. Add the daily question on the board. One question, one sticky note, on the poster before they line up.
Week 5 and on. Add the weekly fiction or nonfiction activity sheet. Pick one day and keep it the same day all year so nobody has to ask.
Expect the first few weeks to feel like you are spending more time on procedures than reading. You are. That is the trade, and it buys you a routine that runs itself from October through May.
These 3 activities are the perfect combination for making the most of independent reading time all year long! They encourage my students to read, think about their reading, and write about their reading without being overwhelming for myself or my students. Really…what more could I ask for?
Independent Reading FAQs
How long should independent reading time be?
In my classroom, it was a 45-minute block that included reading and writing about reading. If you are just starting out, ten or fifteen minutes of protected reading time beats an hour that keeps getting interrupted. Build the stamina first.
How do you hold students accountable during independent reading?
Give them a small, low-pressure way to leave a trace of their thinking. Sticky note codes, a daily question on the board, or a weekly activity sheet all work. You want enough structure to see who is really reading, without turning reading into paperwork.
What do you do about students who are fake reading?
Look at their sticky notes. A student who is genuinely stuck leaves blank notes or very general ones. That is usually a sign the book is too hard or the wrong fit, not that the student is being lazy. A quick conference and a better book fixes most of it.
Should I grade independent reading activities?
I did not grade the daily sticky notes. They are more useful to me when students feel safe writing what they actually thought. The weekly activity sheet is a reasonable thing to take a grade on if you need one.
What grade levels do these activities work for?
I used these in upper elementary, and they work well from about 3rd grade through middle school. Younger students can code with just two or three symbols and a picture key.
Do you use reading logs?
No. A signed reading log tells you a parent signed a log. The activities above give you far better information about what students are actually doing during reading time.
You Might Also Like
- Why Teachers Should Retire Reading Logs
- Websites for Nonfiction Reading for Kids
- Nonfiction Text Structure: The 5 Types and Signal Words
- More reading ideas and activities
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