Reading Coaches Corner
February 2016
Read, Read, Read: Encouraging Students to Read More!
Independent reading
Students need to engage in high-success reading each day. High-success reading means that students are reading books at 98% accuracy or higher. When students read at this level, they experience reading success. When students feel successful, they are more likely to want to read.
Classroom library
Leveling a class library can take a lot of work, but it will have great rewards! The most important benefit is that kids will have access to books they can read at their independent level. For some students, no matter how many lessons on choosing a good-fit book they receive, will still struggle to pick appropriate text. Having a selection for students to choose from, can help eliminate this problem.
Reading mats
Encourage students to read more by creating reading mats. Reading mats are made from file folders and can be as plain or fancy as you want. The premise is on one side, students stack the books they are planning to read during independent reading (at 98% accuracy of course!). Then, when they finish reading, the move the book to the other side.
Goal setting with sticky notes
Sticky notes are an easy and effective way to encourage students to read more. Follow the steps to use them with your students.
- Pass out two sticky notes to each student.
- Students will put a sticky note on the page they begin reading.
- At the end of independent reading, have students mark the place they stopped with the other sticky note.
- Students count the number of pages they read.
- Then, students set a goal to read the same or more pages the next day.
- Students count that number of pages and mark it with the first sticky note.
Now, everyone has a goal for tomorrow! *Asking students how many pages they read is a great indicator of who is actually reading books at the appropriate level!
Simple Reading Mat
Elaborate Reading Mat
Check out the following blog for more ideas to encourage goal setting using reading mats!
Source: http://keenoneducation.blogspot.com/2014/09/reading-mats.htmlSample Reading Mat Directions
Websites
Articles and Resources
This article explains the importance of high-success reading. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar12/vol69/num06/Every-Child,-Every-Day.aspx
Find the levels of the books in your classroom: http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
Faith Sampat
Email: fasampat@henrico.k12.va.us
Location: 5600 Bethlehem Road, Richmond, VA, United States
Twitter: @faithjohnson5