If you’ve ever tried to get your students to settle in with a good book and get some quality independent reading time, you know this isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Students are easily distracted, and that only seems to get worse during independent reading time. Suddenly every child has to use the bathroom, get a drink, or remembers something they forgot in the lunchroom.
Some seem to have mastered the art of fake reading, while others simply can’t hide their boredom… staring at their shoes or looking out the window.
Maybe you feel like you’ve already tried every trick in the book when it comes to Independent Reading time. If you’re ready for some fresh new ideas to get kids excited to read in your upper elementary classroom, this is the place for you!
{Want the full guide on how to implement independent reading and completely transform your reading block? Check out this workshop on how to implement quality Independent Reading time in the upper elementary classroom. It includes printables along with all the ideas you need to feel good about giving your students meaningful time with a good book. Click here to find out more!}
Here are 5 independent reading ideas for your upper elementary students:
- Give them choice AND guidance
- Set goals together
- Set routines and expectations
- Be a reading role model
- Create a reading community
Independent Reading Idea #1: Give them choice AND guidance
Remember back in high school when the teacher would plop a novel on your desk on the first day of school, and you silently rolled your eyes and started thinking about how you could get your hands on the book summary so you could avoid reading it?
There are a few reasons why we weren’t excited about reading that assigned text.
First, we didn’t have an established trust with our teacher yet. On the first day of school, no real relationship had been built yet. There’s a major difference between getting a book recommendation from a trusted friend and being forced to read a book by someone you’ve never discussed reading with before.
Second, there’s the power of choice. We tend to like autonomy, especially when it comes to reading! We’re far more interested in a book when it covers a topic we’re interested in.
Our students need choice when it comes to reading. They need to feel excited, motivated, and empowered during independent reading time in order to get the most out of their time.
On the other hand, we can’t send them off into a massive library of books with all the choice in the world. That would be overwhelming and could get kids in the habit of trying books and abandoning them.
Instead, we also want to give our upper elementary students guidance when it comes to choosing books for independent reading time.
Independent Reading Idea #1: Give Students Choice and Guidance
- Book talks
If you want your students to be readers, they need to trust you as their reading role model. (More about this in a minute!) This means you should be reading the books you’re offering up to your students in the classroom library and making your recommendations, too!
- Class recommendations for independent reading time
Create a form for students to fill out when they finish reading a book so they can recommend it to a classmate. You could even do this digitally with a site like Biblionasium.
- First Chapter Fridays
Create a book bin with the label “First Chapter Fridays”, and ask your students to put any books in the bin that they are considering for independent reading time. Each Friday, choose a book and read the first chapter aloud to the class. They’ll get a quick glimpse at what the book is about.
- Create independent reading wish lists
Give your students a place to write down all the titles they want to read in the future. If you have books that a lot of kids want to read, create a waiting list! Nothing creates hype around a book like having a waiting list to check it out.
Independent Reading Idea #2: Set Goals Together
Goals work, and we need them for reading, too! During independent reading time, you want to set and model your own reading goals, your students should set their reading goals, and the class should set reading goals together. (See Idea #3!)
A simple way for students to stay accountable to themselves during independent reading time without a reading log is for students to grab a dry erase marker and write down the page number they start on and the page number they stop on. (If your desk has a wipe-off surface, students can write their page numbers directly on the desk. They’ll think that is SO fun!)
Take a “Status of the Class” before they start reading by asking each student to shout out what page number they’re starting with. At the end of the reading time, ask each student to shout out the page number they’re ending with. Get ready to watch their faces beam with pride!
Independent Reading Idea #3: Set Routines and Expectations
Setting your routines and expectations for independent reading time will set you up for success all year long. Your students should know exactly what to expect during independent reading time.
Create an anchor chart listing out the do’s and don’ts of independent reading time in your classroom.
Talk through the expectations with your class:
- Can they get up and walk around the room during this time?
- Should they be switching seats?
- Can they book shop from your classroom library during this time?
- How will they keep track of the pages they read during independent reading?
- What happens if they lose focus while reading?
Having your expectations clearly outlined is KEY. Enforcing them is equally important, of course.
Here’s a quick tip for building your students’ reading stamina during independent reading time:
On the first day of independent reading time, set a timer for just 5 minutes. Tell your students independent reading time is over the moment you notice someone has lost focus on their book, and the goal is to get all the way to 5 minutes without anyone losing focus.
The idea here isn’t to punish the person who lost focus, and you don’t want to mention that student by name.
The point is to STOP them before they lose focus, so they can feel success and work to hold it longer the next day. Your students need to build stamina the same way a runner builds stamina for a marathon, and explaining that to your students will make all the difference.
Implementing an effective and engaging Independent Reading block in your upper elementary classroom can be simple with strategies like this one! Get instant access to my Launching Independent Reading Workshop– A bite-sized workshop and resource bundle to kick-start a purposeful routine for your Independent Reading block that you can use in your classroom over and over again.
Independent Reading Idea #4: Be a Reading Role Model
Think about this for a minute:
- You may be the only adult your students know who reads on a regular basis.
- You may be the only adult your students can discuss books with.
- Your classroom may be the only distraction-free place your students have to read.
The solution to this is SIMPLE….
Develop the life of a reader. You can do this a couple of ways.
Read and/or listen to books that upper elementary students would want to read and then talk about them with your students. Your enthusiasm for books will be contagious.
Take any and every opportunity to ask students about the books they are reading and then add them to your TBR list so you can read along with them. Your students will love having you to talk to about the books they are reading.
Include a time to read aloud to students just for the enjoyment of sharing a book together. By prioritizing this time in your class you communicate how much you value it while simultaneously creating a shared experience with your students.
Independent Reading Idea #5: Create a Reading Community
Creating a buzz about books in your classroom will go a long way when it comes to implementing an independent reading block that actually gives your students quality time with books.
Give your students the space and time to share about what they’re reading. Give them time to book shop and make recommendations. Give options for projects they can do to share more about their books.
All of these efforts will pay off when you see your entire class curled up with a good book.
Now you have everything you need to go off and try these 5 strategies for an engaging independent reading block, but if you want to work through some of these ideas in more detail and make a plan for your independent reading time step by step, come learn from me inside my Launching Independent Reading Workshop.
Inside the Launching Independent Reading Workshop, you’ll get:
- Complete Independent Reading training
- All the nuts and bolts of what you actually need to know to launch your Independent Reading block (without all the fluff!)
- My 5-step process for launching Independent Reading block
- Note-taking guide
- Resource list with links (Professional books and mentor texts)
- 5 days of lesson plans done for you so that you can launch your Independent Reading Block without any prep work!
Here’s our workshop schedule:
Part One: The Why Behind the “What”
Part Two: Show Them How
Part Three: Create a Plan
Part Four: Work the Plan
Part Five: Course Correct as Needed
When you’re finished with the workshop, you’ll have everything you need to launch a successful independent reading routine during your reading block this year.
Next Steps:
Choose one tip that you think you can implement in your reading block right away. Grab the workshop and my five day launch plan to help you launch independent reading smoothly into your reading block. If you need one- on one coaching support to help you grow as a teacher or you would like me to come and provide literacy related professional development to your campus click on the work with me tab to learn more. Let’s face it if your mini lesson isn’t mini, then your students aren’t going to have time to read independently, be sure to sign up for my Mini Lesson Revamp Bootcamp Coaching Program waitlist, you’ll be the first to know when registration opens up again.
