Read Here, Read There, Read Everywhere!

Reading improves reading. This is not anything new or profound. Yet, students in many classrooms across the country spend little time reading for extended lengths of time. Reading skills are introduced and practiced through mini lessons and guided reading lessons. Often times, these lessons are on the students' instructional reading level. This is as it should be, but the goal for these sessions is instruction. Students need to practice what they have learned during extended periods of reading time to help with the transfer of skills from new to engrained. Students need to spend time reading at their independent reading level (95% or higher word accuracy). Reading independent level text for extended periods of time gives students the chance to practice newly acquired skills. Students are able to "get into" the text and read for meaning. This extended reading time will go a long way toward building the students' enjoyment of reading if it is free of responses, questions, or activities that are assigned to be completed during or following the reading. We enjoy reading as adults because we can get all wrapped up in a book and not have to worry about answering questions when we are done. We can read just to read. We need to structure time during the school day to give students opportunities to read independent text here, there, and everywhere!