In my experience from Kindergarten to 5th, there are a few types of readers that can be categorized into two groups. There are reading lovers and reading haters.
Love to Read
- Feels good about reading and loves to do it
- Isn’t the most confident reader but still likes it
Hates to Read
- Least favorite subject but will do it because they have to
- Pushes back heavily on reading and won’t give it a shot (whether it’s a strength or not)
The expectations of teachers is to reach EVERY student. No one will argue that this shouldn’t be the goal, but non-teachers need to consider that this is an incredibly difficult endeavor. You have a mix of my 4 types of readers, a (usually) wide range of reading levels, another range of reading skills (different from level), and limited time and/or resources to get the job done. So what the heck are you supposed to do?
The professional development or admin answer is usually along the lines of small groups and independent work. These pieces are SO important! But, in my opinion, you have to get ALL 4 types of readers to buy into your reading workshop FIRST. If you don’t, their independent work isn’t going to be to the level it could be and they’re not going to grow as much in small groups as they could. So, let’s get them engaged!
In 5th grade, I have found the workshop model to work well for reading. This follows the plan of teaching a mini-lesson, doing some type of active engagement, then setting them off to read independently! I do not do centers or much other work besides reading, journaling, and meeting in groups. I am not anti-centers, especially in younger grades. Personally, I think some of the buy in for older kiddos comes from that feeling of independence, rather than checking things off a list or being timed out of a center. To them, it is presented more as just enjoying a book and talking about it, which feels more choice-based and natural.
→ I’d like to emphasize that this does not happen at the beginning of the year, it is incredibly difficult and close to impossible with littles, and not every student can be independent!! These variables will change how you do things.
Anyway, so how do we get them to want to do the independent reading? You can love reading all you want, but that won’t convince every kid. Not only do students have to see you modeling this love of reading, but it needs to connect in more ways than just within your reading block. Here are a few things I recommend to get buy in! (Not every one will work for you or your students! Or every single student. Patience and consistency is key with these.)
- Interest Survey (begging of year!): There are a few things this can accomplish. One is that they think about what they’ve read and how much they liked it, so revisiting old books. Two is that it gives them an opportunity to connect with other kids who like the same kinds of books! Three is that they can get suggestions from others students.
- My recommendation with this would be to let them do an activity (see my “First Week(s) of School” post for ideas) and then have a QUICK conference with each student on their survey. Take notes on their genre preferences. If they are not a big reader, ask about their favorite movies and shows. We’re going to make connections and get kids hooked!
- Think Alouds: if you’ve ever done a read aloud, you probably did it this way, whether you realized it or not. A think aloud is when you read the chapter book and pause at planned (or unplanned) spots to have discussions based on the lessons you’re teaching. This is modeling the reading behaviors you’d want to see in your students. Bonus points if you put the thoughts on sticky notes or in your reading journal! You can read more about this teaching strategy here.
- Shared Reading: this is when you are reading a text while students are seeing the same words. You’re modeling reading and thinking aloud. For littles, you may put a book under a document camera and read along. For bigs, I suggest a whole class book club! Let them follow along while you read, stop and jot, and think aloud. (If you don’t have access to a class set or books, students could share or use online sites that have book access. Worst case, put it under a document camera as well!)
- Book Clubs: kids want connection. They want to talk to each other. Book clubs accomplish both! By having students choose books that interest them, then letting them talk to others about that book, immediately gets them engaged into what they’re doing. Even a reluctant reader, with the right book choice, may be more motivated to read if they know they get to talk afterwards. Once they meet with their group, you may want to give them a specific thing to write or talk about, which is fine. I recommend giving some amount of time for them to just talk! Share their thoughts, even if it’s as simple as “I love it so far.”
- I love this one because it’s so natural to read and talk. What usually happens in my class is that I catch students whispering during independent reading time (which is not the expectation) because they are dying to talk about their book with their group members!
- Series!!!: I ALWAYS choose a read aloud that is the beginning of a series. When we spend time reading, talking, and thinking aloud together, students gain confidence in their comprehension skills. When the book is over, they now have the background knowledge needed to go to the next one. This makes an easy transition for even a reluctant reader. And since you read the first one, they’re able to get hooked regardless of their initial interest level or reading abiliti
Let’s be honest, not all of these are going to work for every kid. Some kids are reluctant and don’t love to read. That’s going to happen every year in every grade. Obviously we have to keep trying, but hopefully some of these ideas can at least put a dent in those stubborn kiddos.
The best thing about reading is how there is something out there for everyone! Let’s help kids discover that. 🙂
Source:
https://www.readingrockets.org/classroom/classroom-strategies/think-alouds
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