Independent Reading

Elaine Gale, Hunter College & Susan Easterbrooks, Georgia State University

News Flash

Independent Reading =

Higher Reading Scores

The more you read, the better you get at it;

the better you get at it, the more you like it;

and the more you like it, the more you do it.

And the more you read, the more you know;

and the more you know, the smarter you grow.

Why Read?

DEAR FVR USSRSSRDIRT

What is Independent Reading?

Drop Everything And ReadDaily Interrupted Reading TimeFree Voluntary ReadingSustained Silent ReadingUninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading

Why Independent Reading?

93%of SSR students did as well or better on tests of reading

than students having no SSR time.

IR Research: General

Education

Who Has the Highest Reading Skill Scores?

International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement report:

children who were read to by their teachers

children who read the most pages for pleasure daily

Duration of Treatment and Outcomes of SSR Studies

Duration Positive No Difference

Negative

Less than 7 months

7 13 3

7 months - 1 year

9 11 0

Greater than 1 year

8 2 0

Reading and LearningMiddle School Children

How many words can one read a year?

1 million words

How many words can one learn a year without direct vocabulary instruction?1 thousand words

IR Research: DHH

Education

Model Silent Sustained Reading

• Time to read books of their own choice• Discard books• Time to find other books• Broad reading goals• Self reading record• Observe, comment and enjoy reading stories

8 Important Factors

• Access• Appeal• Conducive environment• Encouragement• Staff Training• Non-Accountability• Follow-up Activities• Distributed Time to Read

What Does Daily Reading Mean for DHH Students?

Learn to write and spell better

Gain English language skills

Independent Reading Program, How to Set Up?

The How To Do List

• Assessing Needs

• Choosing Appropriate, Leveled Materials

• Finding Time and Space

• Encouraging Self-monitoring

• Assessing Outcomes

Assessing Needs

• Independent Reading Level

• Informal Reading Inventory (IRI)

– Graded word list– Graded passages– Summaries and

analyses

Independent Reading Level

The author sat in his chair and stared at the clock. The pendulum swung back and forth as the time passed by. He was desperate to think of new ideas for his story, but his mind was a blank. This had never happened to him before, as stories had always flowed easily from his mind, usually so fast that he did not have the time to write them down before they disappeared from consciousness and new ideas took their place. But now he was stuck for inspiration, and his book deadline was approaching with a speed that truly frightened him.

1 unknown word in 100

Graded Word ListsList C 5414 Sight Analysis(Grade 4)

1. Thunder _______ _______2. Friendship _______

_______3. Crickets _______ _______4. Yesterday _______

_______...17. Medicine _______ _______18. Ashamed _______ _______19. Saddle _______ _______20. Anxious _______ _______

Number Correct ______________

Total _______Scoring Guide for Graded Word ListsIndependent Instructional Frustration 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 or less

Graded Passages

Flight Older airplanes were moved

through the air by the use of propellers. Now, most planes are driven by large jet engines. Some fly faster than sound. The first thing you may notice about a plane is the wings that stick out on either side of its long body. Today jet planes land and take off from major airports every few seconds. People can travel around the word in only a few hours. It often takes travelers longer to retrieve their luggage than to fly to their destination. Planes have been much improved since the Wright brothers first flew in 1903.

• What is this passage about? (airplanes; the development of planes through the years)

• What kind of engines do most airplanes have today? (jet engines)

• How were older planes moved through the air? (propellers)

• In what year did the Wright Brothers fly? (1903)

• How do you think the Wright Brothers felt after the first flight? Why? (any logical response)

• Do you think jet airplanes have changed our lives for the better? Why? (any logical response)

Summaries and Analyses

Grade Word Recognition Comprehension

Isolation

(word Lists)

Context

(Passages)

Oral Reading (Form A)

PP Sight Analysis Total Level Miscues Level Questions Missed

Level

P

1

2

Choosing Appropriate, Leveled Materials

• Accelerated Readers

• Leveled Readers

• Developmental Reader

systems from different publishing companies

Accelerated Readers

http://www.renlearn.com/ar/

• 1) Student reads book• 2) Student takes a quiz• 3) You get information

http://www.pinnellandfountasleveledbooks.com

Leveled Readers

http://www.onestopenglish.com/readers/index.htm

http://www.cup.cam.ac.uk/elt/readers/

http://www.sundancepub.com/

http://www.wrightgroup.com

Reader Systems

Click video

The following URL links to a full quality version video clip: selectbook

Selectbook video

Not all students in the same grade read at the same level

Click Video

The following URL links to a full quality version video clip: reading level

Reading level video

Finding Time & Space

• 10-20 minutes a day

• Quiet informal setting can go a long way

Building Classroom Library

• Borrow from the school library• Involve parent/teacher association• Deaf Community• Local Service Organizations • Book Fair• Used Bookstores• Exchange Books• Budget Priorities

Encouraging Self-Monitoring

• Self-Evaluation Questions

• Self-Evaluation of Reading Form

• Self-Monitoring Checklist

Self-Evaluation Questions

• How do you feel you are doing in reading/writing

• What are your strengths in reading/writing?

• What do you enjoy the most about reading/writing

• What do you feel you need to do to improve your reading/writing?

Self-Evaluation Form

I feel that I thoroughly understood this book

I feel that I don’t understood this book

Why I marked this scale as I did _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name ___________________ Date________

Book Read _________________________________

Mark the scale below:

Self-Monitoring ChecklistTHINKING ABOUT MY READING

BEFORE READING, DID I* preview the text* predict

DURING READING, DID I* stop and think* change predictions

AFTER READING, DID I* think back about my predictions?* summarize in my head?

To improve my reading, I need to: _________________________________________________________________________

Assessing Outcomes

• Retelling conference with teacher

• Read section to friend• Book talk• Writing• Art project• Drama• Your idea• Nothing…just enjoy!

Student Book Response Choices

Click Video

Booktalk video

How Many Times Do You Need To Meet a Word Before You Comprehend It?

12

IR Materials

• Preschool• Elementary• Middle and High School• Older Struggling Reader

Preschool Materials

Pop-up

Predictable

Wordless

More Preschool Materials

http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Literacy/srp/setup.html

Shared Reading Project

ASL/English Books

LEA Language Experience Activity

Elementary Materials

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Elementary: News

Elementary: Other

Email

Maps

Music

Poetry

Middle and High School Materials

Older Struggling Readers Materials

Posters

Bumper Stickers

Postcards

NewspapersMagazines

Advertisements

Wide range of

opportunities to read

Older Struggling Readers: Intervention

Based on Need

Cooperative Learning Groups

Read Aloud Strategic Reading

Discussion and Collaborative Talk

Close Captioning As Reading

Material?

What do you think?

Click Video

Trelease video

Accessible Books

Books on Video

Big Books

Books on Disk

Pre-Service Teacher Assignment

• You will choose a literacy skill that you have identified your student needs to practice.

• Develop a independent reading assessment rubric related to this objective and fill it out on the student.

• Identify books for student to read independently that will enhance this skill.

• Provide independent reading times over the period of one month with materials that focus on the student’s identified need.

• At the end of the month, fill out the assessment rubric to identify if progress has been made on the objective.

Electronic Resources

http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Literacy/programs/IR.html

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah_chpt5_p1.html

http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/information/er/index.html

Paper Resources

Schleper, D. R. SSR? DEAR? USSR? Or DIRT? No Matter What You Call It, Independent Reading Is for Everyone. Odyssey, (Fall 2002), 26-28.

Krashen, S. D. (2004). The Power of Reading: Insights from the research. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Pilgreen, J. L. (2000). The SSR Handbook: How to organize and manage a sustained silent reading program. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Extra!

Independent Reading =

Higher Reading Scores