Independent Reading

Abstract

Independent reading is also known as sustained silent reading, the reading of selected material by students on their own while at school. This can take the form of a specific period set aside for everyone in class to read to themselves, or can fill in the gaps between other activities. Independent, self-selected reading is an important component of a literacy-rich school culture, helping to increase student engagement, which in turn drives literacy and language skills, social skills and empathy, and overall academic success.

Overview

Independent reading is a classroom or homeschool activity for K-12 students, in which students are given time to read by themselves, with a variety of reading material provided for them to choose from. It is also called sustained silent reading (SSR) or DEAR: Drop Everything And Read. It is assigned in various forms; sometimes the entire class will be given time for independent reading at the same time, whereas in other cases students who complete a classroom activity or test before the whole class is finished will be asked to spend the remaining time doing independent reading. Students may also be allowed to bring reading material from home for independent reading (perhaps subject to teacher approval, depending on the grade level). Independent reading is appropriate for any grade level, but recommendations pertaining to more structured independent reading programs are generally aimed at the K-2 or K-6 levels, when reading skills are still developing and reading instruction is frequently hands-on.

Independent reading began with the Sustained Silent Reading programs that were promoted in the 1970s, which emphasized reading, literacy, modeling behavior (teachers were encouraged to read at the same time students did), and self-selected reading, and usually consisted of specific periods of class time devoted to SSR. Modern independent reading programs sometimes vary somewhat from this model. Often, especially with younger students, students work with teachers to pick out a book from a curated selection of reading materials, which is then stored in an area specific to that student for retrieval during independent reading periods. The goal is to find a book for the student that is “just right,” meaning that they can read it with at least 95 percent accuracy, rather than giving them something to read that will require them to ask for assistance with some of the words.

Independent reading can be an important part of the reading curriculum, underscoring the impact developing literacy has on overall academic performance. Literacy performance has been repeatedly correlated with cognitive and social competency, better performance in mathematics, greater motivation for doing well in school, and higher levels of engagement with school, friends, and family. Other studies have found correlations between reading fiction and empathy. Those who do not develop a love of reading are statistically more likely to be seen by their teachers as “difficult,” less likely to complete homework, less motivated in school in general, more likely to be heavy television watchers over the course of their lifetime, and, perhaps surprisingly, more likely to be bullied.

Most experts recommend that at least 20 minutes per day be devoted to independent reading in the classroom, with some recommending at least 40 minutes for all but kindergarten and first-grade students, who may not be able to sustain engagement for that long. The easiest way to guarantee this is to set aside a 15 or 20 minute block for class-wide independent reading every day, augmented by additional independent reading for students who finish other activities early. Modeling behavior is important, particularly with younger students, which means teachers should openly discuss their own reading habits and favorite books, whether that means the books they have read recently or the books that were their favorites when they were students (with younger students, the latter may be more appropriate, though the lesson that reading continues to be part of adult life is important to promoting reading culture). It can be helpful for teachers to read some of the books students are reading. In addition to independent reading sessions, time can be set aside for students to talk to one another about what they are reading, or to informally address the class about their recent reading—more like show-and-tell than a graded book report or oral presentation. Some reading communities will develop naturally, but book clubs can be organized as well, having various groups of student choose the same book to read.

Reading logs can be assigned to have students keep track of what they read, as well as any responses they have to their reading material, including questions, comments, opinions about whether the book is enjoyable, or predictions as to what they think will happen. Alternatively, a teacher can maintain an engagement inventory, logging students’ reading activity at various intervals with notes on whether they appear to be attentive and engaged, whether they have switched books, and so on.

Independent reading, especially self-selected reading, is a powerful tool for increasing reader engagement. Engagement means the amount of attention students are paying to their reading—how invested they are, how motivated they are to keep reading. Greater engagement correlates with better outcomes, better literacy skills, better retention of reading material, and an increase in social and emotional skills. By extension, assessing student engagement helps teachers identify which students are most in need of help or extra attention.

While engagement inventories focus on independent reading activity, book logs—whether maintained by teachers or students—focus on reading choices. When such logs are kept for all the students in a class, they reveal patterns in reading choice and performance, which can guide classroom activities, as well as informing recommendations for books for students to read. Ideally, recommendations should be made not only based on what the student has read and liked so far, but also in such a way that exposes the student to a variety of reading materials and types of stories. Fiction reading strongly correlates with empathy and social skills, but nonfiction can provide an important challenge or adjunct for many readers as well.

Engagement can also be addressed during teacher-student conferences through reading interest surveys, which ask students about what they like to read, what they have enjoyed or not enjoyed reading, and other questions about their independent reading activities. Reading conferences are particularly recommended for K-2 classes, where reading skills are in early development. Asking open-ended questions allows for more information to be shared that might not be revealed with simple close-ended questions. Modern independent reading programs often encourage teachers to hold these conferences during the independent reading period, with the teacher coming to each student’s desk in turn. Ideally, such conferences convey some information about the student’s current reading to the teacher, and the teacher sets a goal for the next reading period. This one-on-one time is key to understanding where each student is in his progress in achieving literacy and language skills.

Some common reading interest survey questions include, Do you like to read? Do you like being read to? What have you read lately? Do you ever take books out from the library? Questions not focused immediately on reading are helpful for informing teachers’ reading recommendations: What are your favorite movies? What do you watch on television? How much screen time are you allowed? Older students may be asked about specific types of books, which should not be limited to the broad genres used by libraries and bookstores, but include categories that make sense to kids, like car stories, stories about horses or other animals, or stories about real people.

The widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards has led to a focus on exemplar texts and a desire to present students with more and more challenging reading material. This can result in putting self-selected reading to the side, in the interest of making sure student reading is challenging enough, but such rigidity only works against student engagement. Independent self-selected reading is more likely to engage students and motivate them, which is not to say that student selections cannot be addressed if a student is not choosing challenging enough texts or needs to read more grade-level-appropriate material in order to meet achievement goals.

Closely related to independent reading is guided reading, which was the dominant method of reading instruction in the United Kingdom until recently, and which is part of many American models of reading instruction. In guided reading, students read in small groups—two to four is recommended, but in practice groups of six are common—while led by the teacher. Usually, the teacher travels from group to group leading them in their reading session, while other groups pursue other activities. During the teacher-led session, the teacher first briefly introduces the text, and then students either read the text out loud or to themselves, with teacher assistance. Reading is not done by turns: a key element of guided reading is that each student reads the text in its entirety. After the text has been read, the teacher makes a few brief points during a guided discussion of what they have read, which is designed to make sure everyone understands the reading material.

The goal of guided reading is to prepare students for independent reading on their own, and so it is recommended for lower grades. Ideally, guided reading would be used with students who are just learning to read. Students then transition to independent reading sessions once they are more confident and can read all of a grade-level-appropriate text without assistance. Guided reading requires considerably more planning and organization from the teacher. Independent reading sessions in lower grades may overlap considerably with guided reading sessions as students read to themselves, but teachers check in frequently to see if assistance is needed and then discuss the reading at the end of the session to assess comprehension and progress. Specific recommendations vary by student reading level, and according to the overall reading curriculum.

Applications

Allowing time in class for independent reading can encourage pleasure reading outside of class. Just as physical education class ideally teaches students to appreciate being physically active at home and in their free time, so too does reading instruction strive to encourage reading as a leisure activity. With children especially, pleasure reading, wherein the reading is its own reward and end goal, is important to engagement and to developing life-long reading skills. Pleasure reading increases literacy and writing ability, vocabulary and grammar skills, performance on reading comprehension tests, and self-confidence in school, as well as the likelihood of a lifetime as a pleasure reader. Many psychologists treat pleasure reading as a form of play, which is important to emotional, social, and cognitive development—again, particularly for young children. International research repeatedly affirms that pleasure reading and engagement levels have a greater impact on a young child’s educational success than the socioeconomic background of the family. (There is, though, a correlation between economics and pleasure reading, in that children of poorer families are less likely to have parents who have time to read to them and encourage pleasure reading.) The need for significant literacy skills in order to support oneself and navigate adult life has never been greater than it is in the early twenty-first century, and in the developing world, differences in literacy are one of the main drivers in differences in economic and educational success between the haves and have-nots.

Despite overall gains in education, reading for pleasure dropped an average of 5 percent in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in the first decade of the twenty-first century, presumably at least in response to the new stimuli provided by the Internet. A lack of pleasure-reading modeled by adults makes children less likely to emulate that behavior, which has negative consequences on their development. Enjoying reading makes much of the work of early education seem less like work. One study found that young children who read for pleasure are nearly five times as likely to read above grade level, while a University of London study emphasized that in children ages ten to sixteen, reading for pleasure as a predictor of educational success was four times more accurate than parents’ educational attainment, normally considered an exceptionally strong correlative. When children read for pleasure, they acquire sophisticated language skills that other students have to labor over, and are more likely to acquire grammar, spelling, and writing skills that, again, come more easily to them. The importance of pleasure reading may be one reason why surveys of children’s reading habits and educational attainment find a consistent greater level of achievement among young readers of fiction; this may simply recapitulate the pleasure reading correlations, since children especially are most likely to read fiction when reading for pleasure.

Issues

Independent reading can be incorporated into the curriculum in a variety of ways. Book reports can be assigned, with students being allowed to pick the book they read for their report. Part of the day can be put aside for the entire class, or groups within the class, to read independently. Independent reading can be used as an “extra time” activity, something for students to do when they have completed whatever activity the rest of the class is doing, such as during a test. This has the advantage of reducing the distractions for the students using the full time to complete the activity, by keeping finished students occupied with something requiring their attention and silent focus.

Independent reading can also be encouraged outside the classroom, like during lunch/recess hours, though this may conflict with other school goals for those periods. Making the school library available whenever school is open to students, with places for students to read and ease of access to books, displays, and promotions, can play an important role in encouraging a school-wide reading culture that includes independent reading. Ideally, libraries should be well-staffed and well-resourced, and able to be used as a location for events (which helps familiarize students with the library) without blocking access to resources during events held during school hours.

Activities related to independent reading include library trips in which students are encouraged to take some time browsing or using the catalog in order to find something to read for their next independent reading session. This may include remarks by a librarian about how to use various library resources, or guidance from the teacher about the kind of reading material to look for. For instance, an assigned book report on a biography may be prefaced by discussion about what a biography is, a library trip to browse biographies, and independent reading sessions to read the biographies students select.

Choice, motivation, and engagement are all related. Many studies suggest that students are more likely to enjoy reading books they picked out themselves, and enjoyment contributes to engagement (and vice versa). Children who own their own books are also more likely to read frequently, and children who are library members are much more likely to read at home; children without library memberships are three times more likely to report that they only read during school hours, apart from completing homework assignments. Reading frequency is particularly important in early education, but has implications throughout a student’s school career.

Terms & Concepts

Engagement Inventory: An engagement inventory is a tool used to measure a student’s reading engagement, by observing the student’s reading practices and recording notes thereon; an engagement inventory worksheet may be prepared with specific questions to ask about those practices.

Guided Reading: Reading by small groups of students, each of whom reads the text in full, led by the teacher. The purpose of guided reading is to prepare students for the relative autonomy of independent reading.

Independent Reading: Also known as sustained silent reading, a student activity wherein the student reads silently, usually from a selection of prepared reading materials.

Pleasure Reading: Reading done for the reader’s own enjoyment rather than for practical purposes.

Reader-Response: An essay or other written statement of the reader’s personal reactions to his reading material. While reader-response forms the basis for the reader-response school of literary criticism, it is an activity that can be deployed at any stage of literacy, encouraging students to engage with the text.

Reading Engagement: One of several approaches to assessing student reading, reading engagement is the degree to which the student is mentally and emotionally involved with his reading material, and motivated to continue reading and to pay attention to what he reads.

Self-selected Reading: Reading in which the student has chosen his own reading material, possibly from a curated selection.

Bibliography

Chandler, A. (2018). Creating independent readers. AMLE Magazine, 6(2), 38–39. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=128987824&site=ehost-live

Grice, T. (2018). The pivotal link between the classroom and school library. Practical Literacy: The Early & Primary Years, 23(2), 36–39. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=129621653&site=ehost-live

Knight, B. A., Galletly, S. Morris, J., & Gargett, P. (2018). Reading instruction strategies to reduce cognitive load. Practical Literacy: The Early & Primary Years, 23(2), 8–10. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=129621644&site=ehost-live

Knoester, M. (2010). Independent reading and the “social turn”: How adolescent reading habits and motivation relate to cultivating social relationships. Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research, 12(1), 1–13. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=64362434&site=ehost-live

LeCren, C. (2017). Individualized instruction, independent reading, and endangered readers. California English, 22(3), 11–13. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=120956489&site=ehost-live

Nielsen, A.-M. V. (2016). Boosting orthographic learning during independent reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 51(3), 305–322. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=116415403&site=ehost-live

Swanson, E., Reed, D., & Vaughn, S. (2016). Research-based lessons that support student independent reading in social studies. Preventing School Failure, 60(4), 337–344.

Wright, Z. F. (2018). Creating a mindset for writing: How do we teach our least confident students to write? Convince them that they can—and give them a map. Educational Leadership, 75(7), 74–77. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=129418898&site=ehost-live

Suggested Reading

Dickerson, K. (2015). Reimagining reading: Creating a classroom culture that embraces independent choice reading. Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education, 12(1), 57–68. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=102054729&site=ehost-live

Noortyani R. (2018). An exploratory study on students’ reading interest development through independent reading-retelling activity. Arab World English Journal, 9(2), 108–117. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=130309765&site=ehost-live

Sanden, S. (2012). Independent reading: Perspectives and practices of highly effective teachers. Reading Teacher, 66(3), 222–231. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Education Source. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=83004860&site=ehost-live