One of my favorite documents to use when working with teachers is the mapping guide by the University of Oregon.
I know you are asking about older students, but this guide shows that 3rd graders should be able to read independently for 30 minutes a day...by the end of the year. They begin with 5 minutes a day at the beginning of the year and move to 30 by the end of the year. There is a direct correlation between the minutes spent reading 'outside of the school day' with standardized testing. The more minutes students spend reading...the higher percentile quartile they score. Many students don't have time to read at home...sports, friends, home life, etc. SO..why not give them this opportunity to read during the school day? I think this research is in Focus on Fluency. Hope this helps. The information for the document above is: IDEAS Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement (IDEA), College of Education University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon 97403 Mapping Instruction to Achieve Instructional Priorities in Beginning Reading Kindergarten - Grade 3. Deborah C. Simmons and Edward J. Kame' enui Prepared in part for the Office of the Under Secretary Planning and Evaluation Services U.S. Department of Education (Winter, 1999) ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Ljackson Sent: Mon, 11/17/2008 9:16pm To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Independent Reading I agree, Bill, but time is not so much the issue as how teachers monitor and support readers. The accountability factor has to matter, and not just for kids. Lori Jackson District Literacy Coach and Mentor Todd County School District Box 87 Mission SD 5755 ----- Original message ----- From: William Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: 'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group' <[email protected]> Date: Monday, November 17, 2008 6:30 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Independent Reading > 15 minutes done well is better than 30 minutes wasted. If they can't do > independent reading, it's all a waste until someone can teach them. Also, > some teachers think it's 30 minutes free time for them to read for > themselves or grade papers when they should be monitoring the kids and > helping them. > Bill > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of laura herrel > Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 5:25 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [MOSAIC] Independent Reading > > Our middle school 5-8 teachs Language Arts and Reading in two seperate > periods - which I think is a sin. But that's not what I'm coming here to > post about. Our principal recently said he does not want to see the students > doing independent reading for longer than 15 minute during Reading class. > Does anyone see anything wrong with having a 30 minute reading period a > week? > > It really irks me. > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
