If you're an ELA teacher and you schedule independent reading time for your students, then I know you want to make sure that your students get the most out of their independent reading time each week. I'm sure you also want to make sure their reading experience is relaxing and fun - I know I do!
However, knowing what your students like and what will help them relax and have fun while they read can be difficult. In this post, I'm sharing how I make independent reading relaxing and fun in my classroom!
Just Ask
If you've ever incorporated independent reading time into your schedule, or you're in the process of doing this for the first time, then you know that there is actually quite a bit to consider. You also know that many of those considerations have to do with your physical classroom space.
It is so easy to accidentally wind up spending hours scouring the internet for independent reading time tips and tricks or looking for cozy reading corner inspiration on Pinterest! But there is one tried and true, often overlooked, way to discover what will make your students feel comfortable in your classroom and ready to read!
Are you ready for the big secret?
Here it goes!
Just ask them.
Seriously, that's it. Just ask them.
As teachers, sometimes we search and search for answers, pour over possibilities on the internet, and consult our colleagues when the best, and easiest, solution is to just have a conversation with our students!
I ask my students questions that help me make their reading experience better throughout the year. I also formally ask my students about their reading experience with a survey at the beginning of the year to help me get to know them and what their preferences are and at the end of the year to help me prepare for my future students.
I just ask, and you know what I've learned? Middle school students love being asked what they like and don't like. Middle school students also genuinely seem to appreciate the fact that I care enough about their opinions to even ask about them in the first place!
Now just to be clear, my willingness to seek out and mull over my students's opinions doesn't mean that my students are running the show in my classroom during independent reading time or that I cater to every request.
For example, I have had many requests from my students for permission to snack while they read independently. However, I know that if I were to agree, those snack bags would crackle, creating a distraction, and the flaming hot Cheeto/Takis that middle schoolers love so much and always seem to have on hand - Yeah, sticky fingers coated in orange Cheeto and Red Taki dust would decimate the pages of my classroom library books!
Sorry, kiddos. It's still a no for me on the snacking during reading time. (Can't you just hear the "Ah, man!" response after reading that?)
Consider ALL Possibilities
While I won't cave on the snacks during independent reading time, I have received some great suggestions for improving the overall reading experience in my classroom from my students, and I've used them!
Remember that survey I was talking about? That survey plus a follow-up conversation with my students led me to the realization that some of my students couldn't focus during independent reading time because it was ... wait for it ... too quiet!
If you're rereading my last sentence because you're confused, you should know that I was just as confused when I first read the comment from a student who said it was hard to read in class because it's hard to focus in silence.
I'll be honest. At first, I wasn't even sure I should take the comment seriously, but then something interesting happened. I got similar comments from two other students. The conclusion that I came to was that the "too quiet" comment was, as the kids would say, legit. So, the next day I asked my classes as a whole about the room being too quiet. They offered some great insight and were able to clarify a few things. It turns out that some of my students felt that the intense quiet in my classroom during independent reading time created an opportunity for every cough, sneeze, or fidget to sound ten times louder than it actually was and that those noises against the quiet backdrop were distracting, concentration-breaking noises for some. As a result, those students who were being distracted by the small, sudden noises couldn't get into the "reading zone" as Nancie Atwell calls it. (I just love her book, which is titled The Reading Zone. If you haven't read it, I definitely recommend it!)
During our discussion, one student suggested using a white noise machine to provide some background noise, and I thought that was a great idea! So, I told my students I would look into getting one. Then, another student asked why I would spend money on a white noise machine when they have white noise sound videos on YouTube that I can play for free.
I pulled up YouTube on my computer and did a quick search. Sure enough, they have white noise sound videos. Who knew?! Sometimes your students make great suggestions and save you a few dollars all in one day! :)
Organize Your Classroom Library
Other considerations for your classroom reading environment include classroom library organization. Is your classroom library organized in some way, or are all the books put on the shelves at random?
Your students are not going to be able to enjoy reading if they can't find a book they like, and they can't find a book they like if your library isn't organized in a way that makes it easy for them to find a book that strikes their fancy. There are many ways to organize, but any system is better than no system at all.
Once again, just asking students for their opinions can be helpful.
For example, when I was doing some bookshelf rearranging last year, I wasn't sure which shelf I should use for our new graphic novel spot. So, I just asked my students.
They paused, looked, and considered before they finally told me that since they read graphic novels more quickly and they are very popular, having them on the bookshelf furthest to the right would be better. Their reason was because there was more room for everyone to browse in that part of the room.
And there ya have it. Decision - made. Students and teacher - happy.
If you're looking for more information about organizing your classroom library, check out this post - Creating A Classroom Library Checkout And Return System That Works For You!
Make Sure Your Seating Is One Size Fits All
One final consideration for making your classroom space comfortable to read in is related to your cozy corner/reading nook and whether or not it is a space that all of your students can enjoy.
If you're a middle school teacher, keep in mind that all middle schoolers have either already hit a major growth spurt or they are about to. I have students in the same class who barely come up to my shoulders in height and some students who are so much taller than me that I have to look up to speak to them.
So, when you're buying something for middle school students to sit on in your reading nook or cozy corner, purchase something that works for the students who have already hit their growth spurt. If you buy a tiny floor pillow for a student to sit on who is already taller than you are, it may feel like more of a challenge than a fun experience to read in the reading nook and it will be anything but cozy.
Ask Your Students About Their Favorite Books And Favorite Genres
I use the same survey that I've been telling you about to ask my students what their favorite genre preferences and favorite books are, and I always get great feedback from those questions as well. I use that feedback in several different ways.
First, I use the survey to find and fill holes in my classroom library. For example, I recently learned from my survey that several students have been wanting to read Westerns, but I only have a few to choose from. I have since added some middle-grade Westerns to my wish list. I try hard to make sure my library is well-rounded and that I have options that appeal to everyone because, let's face it, no student is going to enjoy independent reading time if they are stuck with a book they don't like.
Another way I use the survey information is to get suggestions for future book purchases. Sometimes students tell me their favorite book is one that they've brought from home, not something they've checked out from my classroom library or our school library. I want to know what those books are! So, I ask and end up with great new titles to add to my wish list and search for in the future. Another way that I use the survey information is to look for patterns to determine what the most popular books are right now so that I can make relevant reading recommendations to my students. Get The Survey For Your Classroom You're probably wondering right about now what the questions that are on this amazing survey that provides so much information look like! The truth is, my survey is actually very simple - it only has nine questions. It's the questions themselves and how you use the answers that matter most.
You can get the same survey I use in my classroom here for free! Beginning & End Of The Year Student Reading Surveys.
In this blog post, I've been referring to a single survey, but I actually have two surveys included in the above resource download - one is for the beginning of the year and one is for the end of the year. The questions are the same, but the wording changes to fit the time of year you are giving the survey.
Make sure to read the helpful teacher tips that I've included with the surveys before you distribute them to your students. Please keep in mind that both you and your students will need to have access to Google Forms and that you will need to have access to Google Sheets. You don't have to be a whiz at either (my step-by-step instructions show you just what to do) but you do need to have Google Forms and Google Sheets for this download.
Finally, I'd love to hear how you make independent reading time in your classroom relaxing and fun! Share in the comments below!
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