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4 Independent Reading Tips

February 28, 2016 By Rachel

Independent reading time is one of my favorite times in the classroom!  I love knowing my students are engaged in books, but I also love that it gives me time to work with students in a small group session.  Here are a couple of ideas I use in my classroom that really seem to help our independent reading time run a little more smoothly.  Whether you call it DEAR or SSR or something else…these ideas are sure to help your reading time be more successful!

Independent reading ideas to help your students be successful!

Special Seating

This is one way to do “flexible” seating without going all in.  While I love the idea of flexible seating, I haven’t had enough options to do it full time.  So we do flexible seating during our silent reading time.  This is probably my students’ favorite thing about silent reading time!  We rotate through our reading spots each day.  The special spots can be anything from a rolling chair to a pillow, to a spot on the carpet. We just rotate through them daily!
Independent reading ideas to help your students be successful!

Book Boxes

Students have a box to keep 5-7 books they are reading.  They take their boxes to their reading spots each day.  This prevents students from getting up during our reading time.  Students are not allowed to look for books during independent reading time.  My buckets are from Really Good Stuff, but they were available at Target and Walmart this summer!  You can also use ice buckets found in the kitchen section.
Independent reading ideas to help your students be successful!

Book Shopping

Students have the chance to go “shopping” for new books 2-3 times per week.  In years past, I’ve had students only shop once a week.  But giving students the opportunity to shop multiple times per week tends to cut down on students asking to go on days that are not their shopping day. The best time I’ve found to do this in during our morning routine.  
Independent reading ideas to help your students be successful!

Organized Library

Having an organized library helps the book shopping process go quickly.  My students only need about 5 minutes to put all their old books away and choose their new books.  
Independent reading ideas to help your students be successful!

These are just simple ways I manage our independent reading time.  If you’re interested in the Book Shopping and Reading Spots signs, you can check them out in my store here.
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  • Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Classroom, Reading, Teaching

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    msrachelvincent

    Rachel | 4th Grade Teacher
    How long is your students’ attention spans? I o How long is your students’ attention spans?
I only have about 10 minutes before I lose them! 🤪
And I don’t know about you but my lessons are typically longer…so I try to mix it up every 10 minutes with a Think-Pair-Share or some kind of movement
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#teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteach4th #iteach456 #teachersofinstagram #teachingelementary #attentionspan #minilessons #thinkpairshare
    6 ways to get your students participating in your 6 ways to get your students participating in your lessons!
1️⃣ Think Time - giving your students time to think about the answer keeps your over achievers from answering all the questions 
2️⃣ Movement - Stand/Sit if this is your answer
3️⃣ Turn & Talk - Everyone shares their answer with a partner
4️⃣ Hand Signals - Perfect for multiple choice questions
5️⃣ Think-Pair-Share - Combines the think time with turn & talk 
6️⃣ Repetition - repeat important information to help it stick
🗣🗣Which number are you trying this week?!
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#teachersfollowteachers #igteachers #iteach #teachergram #iteachfourth #iteach345 #teachingstrategies #studentparticipation
    Do you have these 4 teacher goals?! 1️⃣ Instr Do you have these 4 teacher goals?!
1️⃣ Instructional Goal - How are you improving your instruction?
2️⃣ Relationship Goal - How are you building relationships with students or coworkers?
3️⃣ Balance Goal - How are you trying to have a better work-life balance?
4️⃣ Non Instructional Goal - What other area are you trying to improve?
Here’s my 4 goals!
1. Vocabulary Instruction 
2. 2 Positive Notes a Week
3. Leave by 3:00 3 out 5 days
4. Clean off back counter once a week
What are your goals?
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#teachersfollowteachers #igteachers #iteach #teachergram #iteachfourth #iteach345 #teachergoals #teachergoals🍎
    Coming back from break is a lot easier than the fi Coming back from break is a lot easier than the first day of school!
Less teacher talk 🗣
More student talk 👥
1️⃣ Give your students time to catch up with each other. Even adults like to chit chat about what we did during break!
2️⃣ Review procedures by playing a fun game. Charades is a great way to act out procedures to see if other students can guess what they’re doing!
3️⃣ The halfway point of the school year is a great time for students to set goals!
What’s your favorite thing to do after a break?!
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#teachersfollowteachers #igteachers #iteach #teachergram #iteachfourth #iteach345 #studentgoals #classroomprocedures #classroomideas
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