Tips for Getting Kids to Do More Choice Reading

“When face time is limited and testing demands are heavy, many teachers struggle to make meaningful connections with students. In this Michigan Reading Association break-out session, two high school teachers share ways of using YA lit as the voice that connects us to our students who run the gamut from at-risk to honors. They will also explore how to establish classroom libraries with current titles and relevant technologies.”

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This Prezi was co-created with Lindsey Tilley, teacher at Northview High School, for the Michigan Reading Association Annual Conference in March 2012 and the Inter-Institutional Teacher Education Council of West Michigan Fire Up! Student Teacher Conference in October 2012.

Q: How do I hold my students accountable to choice reading?

A: Because many kids haven’t been given choice in the past, I am always amazed how simply challenging my students to read at least 20 choice  books during the school year actually makes them strive for this specific goal.  My students don’t always realize that there isn’t a grade attached to this goal, but because we talk about what we’re reading all the time in class, they want to maintain this community standard of success.

Some ways, I do this are the following:

• “Require” they read a variety of genres, like Donalyn Miller’s mixed genre requirement chart. This pushes them out of their comfort genre, so even if the book their reading isn’t a higher Lexile level, it will probably be more complex for that student because he/she is tackling a new format.

• Show them how to keep track of their reading rate, like Penny Kittle’s pass-around clip board method.This is a way for students to begin to take ownership of their own data. Schools are so data-driven that we might as well put some of that responsibility into the students’ hands; besides, once they start to monitor their own progress, they find it fascinating.

• Ask them to analyze text complexity, like Teri Lesesne does with reading ladders. This reflection invites students to respond to their success and set goals for the future.  In fact, students are incredibly honest in their reflections. Take Aaron, who read 8 books in 12 weeks, for example: “I would say that this trimester I haven’t shown any growth as a reader, because I am still staying inside of my comfort zone as far as genres go.  I have however noticed an increased reading rate in myself and increased pleasure level from reading books, but I know that I need to pick books that are more challenging.” <<Here is the link to my Reading Ladder assignment description>>

Q: How do I find time to confer with all of my students, especially with large classes?

A: Honestly, this is a big challenge for me. For years, I admitted to my curriculum coach that I was actually afraid of conferring. I created all kinds of excuses questions to “get out of it,” maintaining that I should be reading when my students were reading.

• What if I say the wrong thing or don’t know how to respond?
• What if I haven’t read their books and they know?
• They’re finally all reading! Aren’t they just going to stop reading if I’m not modeling what a good reader does during SSR?
• Won’t everyone stop and talk to one another  if they either hear me whispering with a student?

Eventually, I realized that my excuses were getting in the way of best practice. I began with Regie Routman’s Informal Reading Conference form found in Reading Essentials; however, I found after a year that I spent too much time with each kid. This is a great “script,” but I wasn’t able to frequent everyone as often as necessary. This year, I physically shifted from using my binder notes to a small “detective” notebook. I’m basically doing a blend of what Donalyn, Penny, and Patrick Allen suggest. This has really changed the story of conferring for me, especially since it’s no longer one of horror.

Q: How do I support my students’ choices?

A: On the first day of class, my students participate in a what we call Book Speed-Dating. I’ve also heard it called a Book Pass or  Book Frenzy. This activity is a fast way to expose students to a wide variety of books in our classroom library. Soon afterwards, I give my students a reading survey/inventory, mostly a blend of things I found from other expert teachers. Also during the start of the term, my students sign up for Goodreads accounts <<Slide # 6 of this VoiceThread video lesson plan shares a screencast tutorial of how students can sign up for Goodreads>> to learn what their classmates are reading and how to find suggestions for well-liked titles.

As the school year progresses, we regularly discuss as a class what we’re reading with one another through Book Waterfalls and daily Book Talks. This is really the key. Before I begin, students always have their To-Read Lists open and ready. In addition to regular book chats, I post what “Mrs. Beaton is currently reading…” just outside my classroom door. This year, I also took Donalyn’s suggestion and added the same information to my email signature.

Q: How do I promote “Book Love“in my classroom?

A: We do this a number of ways: tweeting authors, creating book waiting lists, showing YouTube book trailers, etc. But to get students into what Kelly Gallagher calls “reading flow,” or giving students the chance to engage themselves with books the way that everyone else does, we try to promote the notion that sometimes finishing a really great chapter or book is just more important than carrying on to our agenda’s next activity. So, in whispered tones, I’ll occasionally announce something like “Hey everyone, we’re nearing the end of Silent Reading; however, we’re going to keep going until Tristan finishes MazeRunner.” While my students think they’re “getting away” with something, this is really more about showing them what life-long readers do.

Q: How do I build my classroom library?

A: I have found the most success with Donors Choose and used book sales (like from public libraries and Amazon), yet I’ve also acquired books through Scholastic books sales, Ebay, and personal book donations from student/family/friends. Finally, I am very lucky to work in a school district that helps me build my library as well.  

The videos of my students featured below are embedded within the Prezi.