Samantha 0:00
Hi there joyful readers. When you start thinking about implementing independent reading. inevitably you’re going to have a lot of questions. I’m gathering three of my most frequently asked questions and addressing them and today’s episode to help you get started with implementing your own system. It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new to the practice, or a seasoned veteran. This episode has helpful strategies no matter where you are on your journey. Let’s get to it.

Samantha 0:27
One of the most popular questions I get is “How do I know this book will be appropriate for my students?” I could do an entire episode about the level of appropriateness currently in the young adult genre. In fact, at some point, I probably will. But the fact is that not every YA book will be appropriate for every student. It would be great if there was some kind of uniform system to help you figure out exactly what kind of content is inside the book. But unfortunately, it doesn’t exist. And it’s actually quite a hot button topic. So here’s what I do for now.

Samantha 1:40
First, I start with a very strong permission letter to send to parents or guardians. You can’t read every single book in the world. And I believe that the important adults in the students lives should share in the journey decide was appropriate for their own kids. Sending the title and author home to allow parents and guardians to look into the book or read it themselves is a good practice. I often utilize an opt out system instead of an opt in, just for ease, but you can do what’s best for you. I’ll also send an email home letting grownups know that the letter is on the way so they don’t miss it. You can find the link to the letter I used myself for many years, as well as the Google form for digital use at the link in my show notes.

Samantha 2:19
Second, I head to goodreads and search for the title. I make sure it’s shelved young adult. Scroll to the bottom and check the tags or click on book Information if you’re on mobile to find the tags. And then I take a look at the reviews. Oftentimes reviewers will make a list of content warnings in their overview. If it’s a book I haven’t read, I look for those first.

Samantha 2:40
I will also go to Common Sense Media to see if the book is listed there. Common Sense Media is an excellent resource to vet different types of media for kids. They don’t have every single book listed, but more often than not, it’ll be there. I’ll make sure to list these two links for you in the show notes.

Samantha 2:55
If I’m striking out completely with these resources, I’ll tap into my network on Instagram. If for some reason you get stuck when vetting a book, please feel free to reach out. I’ve helped plenty of other teachers crowdsource information on titles, so if you need someone to do that for you, I’m happy to help. Shoot me a DM on Instagram at samanthainsecondary if you’ve gone through all of these steps and you’re still having trouble finding information on the title. I’d be happy to help.

Samantha 3:20
Strategy number two, helping students choose just right books. Another question I often get asked is “How do I make sure students are reading books that are right fit for them? ”

Samantha 3:30
Let’s start with enjoyment. Have students check the cover and read the book summary see if it sounds like something they might be interested in? It’s okay to try something new, but students should be interested in the topic.

Samantha 3:42
Next, have students examine the reading level. Turn to a random page, I normally have them start at the beginning, so page two, for example, and read a passage from the book out loud. Can they read the text fluently? Do they know a majority of the words? A few unknown words is fine, but more than five on one page and I would tell them to choose a new book.

Samantha 4:03
Last give students a little bit of time to get acquainted with the book before they decide to stick to it. They may get 20 pages in and decide it isn’t for them. That’s okay. I usually have a preview day where students take time to read some of their books. They can decide to keep it or try again at the end of the class. Don’t force kids to read books they hate. That will harm all of the good progress you’re making to create joyful readers. Give them a cut off date and explain that if they decide to switch books and they can, they may need to read a bit on their own time to catch up with the other students.

Samantha 4:36
Continuing to repeat these ground rules the students through your independent reading process will help them become confident in picking their own reading material. Not everyone automatically goes into a bookstore or library and knows how to pick a book. Understanding that not every book is for every person will allow students to become better at choosing the best one for them each time they try. Knowing your likes and dislikes as well as how to tell at the book is the right reading level for you is the mark of a joyful reader.

Samantha 5:04
Strategy number three, how to keep everyone at the same pace. Last but not least, I want to talk about reading pace because a question I am often asked is, “How do I make sure students start and finish their books around the same time?”

Samantha 5:18
This is a practice I used for years, but it takes a little getting used to. Don’t be surprised if it feels a little messy the first time, that’s okay. Keep practicing and your students will get the hang of it.

Samantha 5:30
First, you’re going to set a timer in your classroom and have students read for 10 minutes. They should log the amount of pages they can get through in that amount of time. Take the total number of pages and divide by the number of pages they can read in 10 minutes. This is the number of independent reading days they’ll need in class. Next, tell students how many days in class that you’re actually giving them to read. If sometimes you add independent reading days for a full class period, add those too, but in 10 minute increments. So if you give a 50 minute class period, that’s five extra independent reading days. If they don’t have as many days as they’ll need, they will need to do the amount of 10 minute increments outside of class to be done with the book on the date assigned. I will often give students a little bookmark organizer to check off the amount of days they’ll need as they go. If you use a different time period in your classroom, say 15 or 20 minutes, use that number instead. I found that 10 makes for easier math, but as always do what’s best for you and your students.

Samantha 6:30
So here’s an example of this practice, the average reading speed is right around one page per minute for an eighth grade reading level. 10 minutes would be 10 pages. If the students are getting 20 independent reading sessions, they should be able to finish a 200 page book in that timeframe. If they need more time, they need to average how many pages they need to read outside of class. This is also a huge help with classroom management, because students know exactly how many pages they need to read during the time I give them. If they aren’t using their class time wisely, they’re going to have extra work to do outside of class. And most of them don’t want that.

Samantha 7:07
If students finish early, make sure you have something for them to do. For me this was always working on a discussion guide that they would use to help them discuss the book as a class. It could also be picking something else to read or finishing a missing assignment. It will look different for everyone, but make sure you have a plan for that.

Samantha 7:24
So today we talked about three strategies to help you run a successful independent reading program. We discussed vetting books for appropriateness, teaching students how to find a just right book, and how to keep students reading at the same pace. Next week, we’ll dive into our first inside look at how one of my genre based literature circles runs so you can replicate the practice in your own classroom.

Samantha 7:44
If you’re looking for excellent books to make sure your classroom library is full of titles your students will actually want to read Head to www dot Samantha in secondary.com slash books and grab my free list of 100 YA books for your curriculum or classroom library. These are teacher selected, student approved novels that you can use to get your students excited about reading. Until next time, happy reading.