- Writing in response to books and texts read—planning for book talks, book reviews, reactions to
texts - One-on-one conferencing between teacher and student to discuss books, review progress, and
set goals - One-on-one conferencing that uses probing questions, listening, and discussion to foster
student exploration of their ideas about a book - Varied opportunities for students to reflect on their readings and reading process after a
semester or other time period - Teacher guidance and feedback regarding text selection and progress
- Teacher modeling, including read alouds and think alouds, to illustrate ways to select and
respond to books and texts - Teacher and teacher librarian recommendations of books and texts
- Parent and family communication
- Availability of books in students’ primary languages
- Availability of books that reflect students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- Inviting classroom and library spaces to read
Many sources provide guidance for organizing and conducting successful independent reading
programs. Some examples include Moss and Young (2010), Oczkus (2012), Routman (2002), Yopp,
Yopp, and Bishop (2009), EngageNY (2013), Kittle (2012), Atwell (2007), and Miller (2009).
The aims of wide and independent reading are many: By reading widely across many disciplines
and genres students increase their background knowledge and understanding of the world; they
increase their vocabulary and familiarity with varied grammatical and text organizational structures;
they build reading stamina and positive reading habits; they practice their reading skills; and perhaps,
most importantly, they discover interests they can carry forward into a lifetime of reading and enjoying
books and texts of all types.
Reading Aloud
Reading aloud to children and students of all ages, especially in interactive ways, is a time-honored
tradition—one that has many potential benefits. Among these are that reading aloud to students:
- Enriches their language, exposing them to new vocabulary and grammatical structures
- Familiarizes them with a variety of text structures
- Contributes to their knowledge, both of literary works and of the world
- Piques their interest in a topic, genre, or author
- Provides them with opportunities for collaborative meaning making, such as when they discuss
the selection with the teacher and peers - Provides them with a “window” into comprehension monitoring, such as when the teacher
rereads a section or “thinks aloud” about his or her understanding - Contributes to their view of reading as a meaning making process
- Familiarizes them with a variety of text features, such as tables of contents and graphic displays
of information, if students’ attention is drawn to them - Provides them with a model of fluent reading
- Contributes to foundational skills, such as phonological awareness and letter knowledge
58 | Chapter 2 Essential Considerations