This is a powerpoint I presented at at school as their curriculum coach.

1. Presented by Monika Gruss

2. Reading is to the mind,
what exercise is to the
body!

3. Learning Intention
To have an understanding of…
… Independent Reading and reading journals and
how to implement them in your reading program
… what a classroom library is and how to create
one in your classroom

4. Success Criteria

5. Curiosity
Adopt Consistent Learning Protocols
THEORY OF ACTION FOR THE WHOLE
SCHOOL
If we adopt consistent learning protocols in all
classes, then all students will experience an enhanced
capacity to learn, and to develop skills, confidence and
curiosity.
We believe that when learning strategies, and their
purposes, are clear and accessible to all our students,
Curiosity and Powerful Learning
they are better positioned to become powerful
NMR, 2012
learners.

6. What is Independent Reading?

7. Independent Reading
… Independent reading is when students take on the
responsibility for their own reading.

8. Independent Reading
Reading with 95% or higher accuracy rate and
understanding what is being read. (It’s not likely that
understanding is occurring if there is less than 90%
accuracy.)
THOUGHTFUL readers know how to select „just right
books‟ to read for most of their reading. They also
know that easy reading and challenging reading
materials are OK for specific times and purposes.
Diane Snowball, 2011

9. ‘Just Right Books’
„Students are more likely to be able to choose an
appropriate text when they know a variety of ways to
evaluate it.‟
„Students who can effectively choose appropriate texts
will be less likely to abandon books they choose and
more likely to spend more time in engaged reading‟.
Wutz & Wedwick, 2005

10. Choosing ‘Just Right Books’
Teaching children how to make thoughtful book
selection is hard work, but its not out of their reach, or
ours.
Early mini-lessons on book selection should focus on
the ways readers make good choices.
Debbie Miller, Reading With Meaning, 2002: page 40

11. Just Right Book Ideas…
http://pinterest.com/

12. More ‘Just Right Book’ Ideas…
http://pinterest.com/

13. http://pinterest.com/

16. What does Independent Reading look like in
the reading hour block?

17. The Reading Block Structure
WHOLE CLASS FOCUS (Launch)
Learning Intention & Success Criteria
Explanation & demonstration of the reading strategy.
INDEPENDENT READING/PURPOSEFUL COMPREHENSION TASK
(Explore)
Teaching Focus Group Independent Practice of
-based on the strategy the Strategy
Conferencing
WHOLE CLASS SHARE (Summarise)
Reflection/Evaluation of the strategy

18. Knowledge about your student’ reading

19. Why Independent Reading?

20. Variation in amount of Independent Reading

21. How can we support Independent Reading?

22. Essential supports for successful independent
reading
A CLASSROOM LIBRARY:
Range of factual and fiction material (books,
magazines, audio books, newspapers, digital texts,
reference material) at various levels of difficulty; range
of authors, genres, topics
Resources attractively displayed (not a row of spines);
organised for easy access – by topics, authors, range
of difficulty (leveled – ½ of selection)
Students knowing how to choose appropriate books –
just right, easy, challenging
Diane Snowball, 2011

23. Classroom Libraries
Students in classrooms with well-designed classroom
libraries:
1) Interact more with books;
2) Spend more time reading;
3) Demonstrate more positive attitudes toward
reading, and
4) Exhibit higher levels of reading achievement
National Assessment of Educational
Progress Report, 2002

24. Classroom Libraries to support Independent
Reading
Collection for Independent Reading
• Minimum of 5 books per student
• Half to be factual
• Part of the collection is leveled or organised so that
it‟s easier and faster for students to self-select
easy/just right/challenging reading (remember
independent reading is 95% + accuracy)
Diane Snowball, 2011

25. What type of books to include in your
Classroom Library
“Be choosy. Build your collection slowly. Children
should be reading well-written books that promote
thinking and have believable, compelling characters
who talk the way real people talk and do the things real
people do.”
“Don‟t get into thinking all books are equal…. Quality
really is better than quantity!”
Debbie Miller Reading With
Meaning, 2002, p.47

26. Organisation of Classroom Libraries
Author collections - appropriate for age (also used for
author studies)
Genres - fact (procedures, recounts, arguments,
discussions, explanations, reports) and fiction
(fantasy, folk tales, myths, legends, realistic, historical,
science fiction; romance, adventure, horror, mystery...)
Topics of interest to students or curriculum related

27. Organisation of Classroom Librareis
Types – picture books, short stories, novels, poetry,
magazines, newspapers, plays, readers‟ theatre texts,
references, access to interesting websites, students‟
publications, comics
Series

28. Miller, 2002: Reading With Meaning, page 100

36. A CLASSROOM LIBRARY CHECKLIST
For more information on
classroom libraries and how
to start one in your
classroom, see the coaching
wiki - (Literacy Resources).
http://coachgruss.wikispace
s.com/1.+Literacy+Resourc
es

37. Essential supports for successful independent
reading
IN THE CLASSROOM:
Place for each student to keep their independent
reading material (e.g. box, chair bag)
Anchor charts displaying reading strategies (success
criteria) for students to anchor their learning
Diane Snowball, 2011

41. Let’s be creative!
Using your iPad, use the AP „Show Me‟ to design a
library that you would love to have in your classroom!

42. Essential supports for successful independent
reading
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING:
Reading Assessment/Conferencing Book:
Teacher confers with individuals during independent
reading(assessing, teaching, establishing goals) and
recording student‟s progress in a reading
assessment/conferencing book/folder
Reading Journal:
Record of reading assessment and goals for each
student
(a reading journal for each student)
Diane Snowball, 2011

43. Reading Journals
Journals can take many different formats depending
on the age and experience of students.
Some students will manage a blank exercise book or
jotter and be able to organise their journals according
to personal preference.
Other children will need a more formal structure to
their journals that will help to prompt responses to
their reading.

44. Reading Journals may include:

45. Keeping records of student’s goals/anecdotal
records

46. The Reading Conference
„The Reading Conference is a brief discussion with an
individual student or small group of students. The
conference may occur before, during or after
independent reading takes place.‟
Morris School District

47. The Reading Conference
Teachers build valuable knowledge of their students
through reading conferences.
They do this by:
• Gathering information about the student‟s progress
and discussing this information with the student;
• Clarifying the strategies the student is using and
ensuring that the student is becoming aware of how
to control these strategies;
Effective Literacy Practices,
Learning Media, 2003

48. The Reading Conference
• Learning about the student‟s personal interests and
their attitudes to literacy learning;
• Identifying and discussing problems or obstacles to
literacy learning the the teacher may not have been
aware of;
• Providing personalised, specific feedback;
• Agreeing on goals for further learning.
Effective Literacy Practices,
Learning Media, 2003

49. Differentiation
• Effective conferences are planed by the teacher
before they happen
• As conferences are only for a few minutes it is best
to be well prepared with a focus in mind
• Using your conference/assessment book effectively
will help to have a focus for each individual
student….
• …. Differentiation!

50. Questions you could ask during a conference
For more information, visit the
coaching wiki.

51. Where to now?

52. Did you meet your success criteria?
A plan for action:
Think – By yourself, create an
action plan on what you are
going to implement in your
classroom. Make sure you
write all your ideas
Pair – Share you ideas with a
partner. If they have some
great ideas that you like, add
them to your action plan.
Share – Get ready to share them
with every one. Remember
to add any ideas that you like
to your list.

53. References
Wutz, J.A., & Wedwick, L. (2005). BOOKMATCH: Scaffolding book selection for
independent reading. The Reading Teacher, 59(1), 16–32.
“The Five Finger Tips of Choosing a Book to Read”
http://pinterest.com
“Reading With Meaning”, Debbie Miller, 2002
Diane Snowball, Effective Literacy Teaching and Learning for All Students
Presentation, 2011
Effective Literacy Practices, Yrs 5-8, Learning Media, 2003