Silent reading doesn't have to be torturous

The ability to read silently for fifteen to twenty minutes is a life skill.

And too many times we fail our high school students by not teaching this skill because it is difficult.  It is difficult for us to teach and difficult for them to learn.

But it can work and it can happen!  I know because it happened in my classroom with all five classes multiple years.

I teach High School Intensive Reading.  Few of these students are readers and most are very vocal about not reading. I love challenges and puzzles, so how to make silent reading effective and enjoyable? 

Here’s what works for me and my students:

Tell the students the week before and take them to the library for books.  I also have books and magazines in the room on a variety of topics and levels.  No excuses.  Everyone has something to read! 

I write it on the board Thursday and Friday before it starts on Monday. 

Mon, Wed, Fri:  Silent Reading 15 – 20 minutes, graded

 (You may not read a textbook for another class.)

As a teacher I have to remember that most of them hate reading and find it exhausting.  Like any other muscle, reading muscles have to be built up, which takes time and practice. 

THE PROCESS:

Me:  Get your books out or find one on the shelf.

Students: (some get them out, some get up and look, some just sit)

Me(walking around checking on everyone):  Everybody’s got something to read?  No, you may not read your history – doesn’t count….Your  grade is for reading – not looking around, not on one page the entire time, not looking at other stuff, not sitting with your eyes closed – reading the words and turning the pages.  

Me (going to those with nothing to read):  Do you have something or do you need something from the bookcase?  (Usually they get up and go look, but sometimes I bring them choices.)

[This part is repeated multiple times every time and may take 10 - 15 minutes the first 2 weeks.  It must be said patiently, but persistently - like you just noticed they don't have a book, instead of "this is the 8th time I've told you to get one".]

THE GRADE:  I do not ask them to write anything down.  I watch and observe.  Students get credit for the time they read, so if someone starts later or stops early, they get 60% - 75%.  Typically the grades are 0% (very rare), 30%, 50%, 75% and 100%.  The first two to three weeks I am a bit more generous to encourage the behavior and reward the effort.

THE TIMING:  The first two to three weeks some students will only read about five minutes.  I start timing from when they start getting books out.  I stop timing once the last few have read five or six minutes and at least fifteen minutes have passed.   It is truly exhausting for many of them!

ME: (when everyone’s settled, I  read)

ME (when the last few to get books have read five or six minutes and at least fifteen minutes have passed):  Finish the sentence you’re on and put your books up.

YOU, the teacher, MUST READ!  It is vitally important that you read something fun, not a textbook or academic.  It must be fun.  You MUST MODEL it.

REALITY:  Students often take ten minutes to start reading the first couple of weeks.  I repeat the “get books out, everybody reads, do you need a book” comments every day of silent reading initially.  Even after they settle in more quickly, they will tire quickly and get restless.  For this reason, weeks two and three may only involve ten to twelve minutes of actual reading.  

I watch the point at which they get restless and add one or two minutes.  I maintain the same time for three days before increasing it by another minute or two.  At about four weeks most classes take two to three minutes to get settled and read about fifteen minutes.  I then vary whether we read fifteen or twenty minutes depending on the rest of the day’s assignments.  Some classes settle in and read comfortably for the time and some classes still get restless by the end.  It’s ok either way.

ASK ABOUT THEIR READING MATERIALS!  From day one ask those that read the shortest time what they chose, did they like it, do they want to read it next time or choose something different.  This is essential to getting them engaged in their material.  Some students will choose a different item every time and start in the middle on a random page.  That’s ok; let them have that freedom.  It gives them control and power, which will increase their joy of reading.  They just have to read something.

I allow them to read digital copies, but the device must be visible, so I can walk by and see that it is actual paragraphs and not social media or texting.

THAT ONE CLASS:  I had one class that was unique from all the others.  They always took ten minutes to get settled – ALWAYS.  After nine weeks, they still took ten minutes.  At the end of the semester, they still took ten minutes. HOWEVER, after four weeks they were easily and comfortably reading for twenty minutes every time – EVERY SINGLE TIME!  So, I adjusted the lessons to allow that class the thirty minutes needed for silent reading.  Your unique class may be unique in a different way, but when they work up to reading fifteen to twenty minutes, then it is well worth it.

One other cool story:  That student who chooses a different book each day and opens to a random page to start reading....Yeah, that one.  I've had several of those.  One day when I said to finish the sentence time was up, I hear "NO!  NO! NO!"  I look up and ask what.  He says it's not fair and he has to know what happens.  (He had opened to random page in a random book and gotten drawn into the story.)  I smiled and said, "Welcome to our world.  Yes, read and see what happens."  A few minutes later he joined us in the assignment.  

Silent reading is wonderful.  We must take the time and make the effort to teach our students this skill.