Independent reading is one of my favorite activities in a classroom. Students are choose what they want to read and excitedly dive into a new world.
Unfortunately in many classrooms, some surprising restrictions come with independent reading.
I recall a fifth-grade teacher who reminded her students, "Remember independent reading does not include . . ."
I listened intently eager to see what would not make the cut.
"Guinness Book of World Records."
What? How did that one series of books get singled out? Why? It's a book full of words. What wouldn't be independent reading about that? Also, guess who loves that book? Boys.
What's the message the teacher sends by singling out that one title for exclusion?
A friend told me that a teacher of his had a very broad definition of independent reading that included picture books, nonfiction, even words on a computer screen. He asked if it included his favorite thing to read, comic books.
"Adam," she said, "You know comic books aren't reading."
Independent reading means independent reading. This is what we do as adults. Students need to develop these same skills and the way to do that is by choosing what they want to read during independent reading.
