Developing a Schoolwide Independent Reading Program

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Developing a Schoolwide Independent Reading
Program

• Erexenia Lanier, Kingsley Jr. High SchoolSusan
  Lenski, Portland State University

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Why Independent Reading?

• Students read very little at school. At least
  half of eighth graders read fewer than 10 pages a
  day (NAEP, 1996).
• Students read very little at home.
• The reading students do is often email, text
  messages, websites.

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What about research?

• Independent reading began in the early 1970s and
  became increasingly popular until 2000.
• NRP did not find many experimental studies that
  supported independent reading. The studies that
  they reviewed investigated independent reading
  without teacher guidance.

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However

• Volume of reading (Allington, 2001 Stanovich,
  1986)
• Motivation (Fisher, 2004 Gardiner, 2005 Wood,
  et al., 2006)

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Then and Now

• Changing role of teachers is SSR (Hunt, 1967
  Pilgreen, 2000)

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School Wide Principles

• 1. Building book awareness
• 2. Giving time for reading
• 3. Keeping Track
• 4. Mini lessons

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Building Book Awareness

• Access to Books
• Book Talks
• Reading Role Models
• Selecting Books
• Reading Materials

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Time and Place for Reading

• Reading places
• Reading quilt
• Buddy reading
• Different times for each grade level

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Keeping Track

• Reading logs
• Reading caterpillar
• Classmate recommendations
• Reading steps
• Book points

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Mini lessons?

• Selecting books
• Reading fluency
• Reading comprehension
• Developing vocabulary
• Author studies

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INDY 500 can work for you!

• Can be modified to fit all students and curricula
• Meets the following state standards
• Reads a variety of genre
• Reads for understanding
• Understands fictional and informational texts

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Groundwork to lay..

• Book Talks every week by teacher
• Featured book covers on display
• Book talk the Scholastic Book orders
• Students book talk during the quarter
• Book Talk handout becomes a pass to the library

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Book Talk Board
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Room Display
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During Designated Reading Time

• Assess students reading ability
• Teacher need to talk about books with kids
• Survey class about what they are reading as well
  as how far they are in their book.
• Encourage readers
• Make a connection
• Recommend books for all readers
• Help students with their INDY story maps/tests
• Teacher needs to model reading

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Suggested books?

• Teachers need to find books to hook
• Librarian
• Web sites
• List serves
• Conferences
• Teachers need to read

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Resources available to students

• List suggested books on your school/classroom web
  site
• List of books you have read on web site and in
  classroom
• Create Top Ten Recommendations and post in
  classroom
• Create book list binders
• Book talk books
• Printed web pages
• Recommended book lists

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INDY 500 Featured Genres/Requirements

• Curriculum mirrors Indys featured requirements
  and is tied into curriculum.
• Read alouds
• Literature from basal
• Novels
• Writing/Journaling
• Vocabulary
• Can choose area of focus or genre based on needs
  of students
• Mystery, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Movie
  Books, Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, etc.

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INDY 500 pages

• Pages can vary by quarter depending on structure
  of classroom and/or grade level
• 2 periods for language/reading 500, 650, 700,
  and 750.
• 1 period for language arts 500
• Our 7th grade teachers have modified INDY and
  refer to their program as Brickyard 400
• 6th grade 300 pages
• Modification of pages for students
• Less page requirements
• Work toward a B or C.
• Indy grade based on percentage read. 400 pages
  would equal an 80 for INDY.

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Parent/Guardian Communication

• Share letter with parent every quarter
• Emphasize requirements for the quarter
• INDY letter (handout)
• Keep parent informed of their childs progress.
• Indy gradesheets, etc.
• Pitstops

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Time management

• Give a daily page count to keep on track.
• Remind students of their progress weekly as well
  as keep parents informed every two weeks.
• Dont allow students to turn in more than one
  books documentation on an INDY day.
• Provide students with one INDY day a week to
  discuss books, encourage,
• Create an INDY gradebook

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Ways to document their pages..

• Story map to assess literary elements
• Book turned in with story maps, parent/guardian
  signature (as deemed per teacher)
• Available on line as well
• INDY 500 tests (Handout)
• Taken on Independent reading days.
• Tests can vary based on standard you are
  emphasizing during this grading period
• Generic so it can apply to any book.

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Grading of independent reading

• Percentage of grade can be determined by teacher
  and district requirements
• Indy tests/story maps graded as they come in.
• INDY tests/story maps are pass/fail.
• Students must accurately identify literary
  elements.
• May correct until they pass.
• Allows one-on-one conversations with students who
  need remediation or extra explanation of standard
  being assessed.

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INDY 500 Book Club

• Way to challenge students to read more than 500
  pages
• Students read a book a week. Can be the same
  title or books with common themes or same author
  in small groups.
• Documentation sheets have students use Blooms
  taxonomy to create higher level thinking
• Discussion of the book they read using
  documentation sheet to encourage conversation.
• Web cam across schools to have book clubs from
  classroom to classroom across district and/or
  state(s).
• Indy blog set up to communicate and discuss books
  online

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Indy blog
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Student Praises for INDY 500

• It surprises me to know that I could change from
  a 100 page reader to a 600 page reader. Its
  fascinating.
• Last year, I didnt read as much because I
  didnt find books I liked. But with Indy and book
  talks I think I have read more because I found
  books I liked.
• As a reader, Ive read a ton more than last
  year. My reading habits have changed. I read at
  home and on the bus. I just read more.
• I hope in high school there will be program just
  like Indy.

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Parent Quotes

• He seemed to enjoy reading more this year. We
  were happy to see him take more interest in
  reading.
• I think the Indy 500 program is great.
• He enjoys the program and it keeps him motivated
  to read.
• She enjoyed the Indy 500 program. When she was
  younger she didnt like to read and this program
  helped her to enjoy reading something she really
  liked. I was pleased to see her enthusiasm.

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Teacher testimonials

• 5th grade teacher added INDY to her own classroom
  when her daughter participated in Indy 500 in my
  classroom.
• Teachers across the district have seen how Indy
  has helped motivate their struggling readers and
  challenge their stronger readers.