Mrs. Pittman’s September Blog:   Why Not?  What Works?  Why Independent Reading Matters and the Best Practices to Support It.

           

          Reading this chapter was great for me because it reminded me how important Independent Reading (IR) both in the classroom and at home is for students. I always factor IR time into my day, however, I usually squeeze it in when I have time in between other activities instead of making it a prominent and important focus of our day.  I think this is true for many teachers.  Finding time for IR with everything else in our day can be a challenge.  However, it is vital that we make time and make it worthwhile.

            

          All of the IR practices are familiar to me but it was a great refresher to read them again.  I particularly liked the section about explicit instruction during IR.  As teachers we need to remember that this not just a “free exploration” time for students but a time when direct instruction is essential in order to make this time valuable for the student.