How to Improve Reading Stamina in the New Year
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A room of students actively independently reading…
Isn’t THAT every teacher’s dream?
Just picture it - all of your students are focused and productive, and you can meet with Book Club groups uninterrupted.
Giving students time to independently read - no matter the age of students - is met with mixed emotions. Some teachers love it, and for some teachers, managing it is extremely overwhelming.
Let’s face it, students quickly lose focus during independent reading time. Trying to maintain focus and productivity during independent reading time after the long holiday break can feel like an uphill battle (or more like trying to summit Mount Everest…)
Taking time after to improve reading stamina - no matter the time of year - isn’t just about improving focus and productivity (and saving your sanity). Building and improving reading stamina is a tool to unlock deeper comprehension and build confidence in applying literacy skills they’ve learned.
What is Reading Stamina and Why is Improving it Important
Reading stamina is like a muscle.
It needs to be worked.
It needs to be strengthened.
And it needs continual practice.
Just simply handing students a book and saying “Go read” without taking the time to build or improve reading stamina is setting the stage for disaster (not to mention a lot of headaches and stressful literacy blocks).
By providing the time for your students to build, strengthen, and improve their reading stamina, you are setting the groundwork for better comprehension and deeper engagement with texts because your students will be better able to focus and attend to the text they are reading for extended periods of time.
Also, taking time to build stamina is key to ensuring your Daily 5 centers run productively and smoothly so you can get to your reading groups. (Not using the Daily 5 to structure your literacy block yet? CLICK HERE to get your copy of the book and get started!)
Yes, reading stamina plays a role in how smoothly your literacy block runs (which is important), but most importantly students who lack reading stamina are more likely to struggle with academic demands.
And a student’s stamina is not constant. It ebbs and flows as the year progresses. Many students will lose focus after long breaks or during transitional times of the year (like during state testing). This is why it’s essential for teachers to be intentional with strategies to rebuild and improve reading stamina throughout the school year.
Proven Strategies to Improve Reading Stamina
Strategically taking time to improve or reestablish students’ reading stamina throughout the school year is important because reading stamina is an essential skill that sets the foundation for long-term academic success.
Let me explain.
As students progress through their academic careers, the demands for reading increase. They will be expected to comprehend longer passages across subject areas like science and social studies - which are complex subjects in themselves! Strong reading stamina helps students sustain focus, therefore helping students retain the information they read as well as critically analyze it without feeling overwhelmed.
Reading stamina is not static and can be improved with intentional strategies - no matter the grade level (yes, even for our students just learning to read). Here are a few of my favorite strategies to improve and build reading stamina, no matter the time of year!
Gradually Increase Reading Time
This might be one of the most important considerations when building our students’ reading stamina muscle.
It has to be built gradually.
By far one of the biggest mistakes that I coach teachers who are just getting started with the Daily 5 is that they don’t allow the time for students to gradually build their reading stamina. Just jumping in and expecting students to read independently for 15 minutes without taking the time to build up their reading stamina muscle is setting both you and your students up for failure - especially at the beginning of the school year or after a long break.
Taking a step-by-step approach and slowly building stamina may take more time, but it will pay out big time later.
I suggest starting with 5 to 10-minute chunks of time (or what would be appropriate for your students) and gradually adding time as they master sustaining reading. I know it could be frustrating, but if your students are struggling to get past the 8-minute mark, keep working at it until they have it MASTERED. Rushing this process doesn’t help - trust me.
To help, I suggest using some sort of a tracker or anchor chart to keep track of their progress, set goals, and celebrate progress.
Establish Routines and Expectations
I know you are a master teacher, so this might go without saying.
But it’s important to set clear expectations and create consistent routines for independent reading or Read to Self-time.
Not only that, but they need to be practiced and modeled throughout the year - especially after a long break. You may choose to post an anchor chart listing what Read to Self-time looks and sounds like so that students (or you) can refer back to it during the year. I even start my Daily 5 time reviewing my expectations (yes I do this every day). (Curious? CLICK HERE to check it out!)
Consider creating routines and strategies for things like selecting books, finding a quiet reading spot, and what to do if they are feeling unfocused.
But what do setting expectations and routines have to do with building and improving reading stamina?
Creating systems and routines removes the mental load for students when things like needing a book arise because they know what to do and can quickly get back to reading. Not only that, but it sets the tone that they need to be actively practicing to build their stamina, instead of avoiding the task at hand.
Use Visual Stamina Trackers
The problem with building stamina is that you can’t see it.
But you can definitely see when it ISN’T there…
While you’re students are building stamina, they can’t necessarily see it, which can make goal setting or comparing progress from day to day challenging.
This is why I love using stamina trackers when I’m working with my students on improving their reading stamina. Students can SEE the stamina they are building.
Every day, we graph how many minutes they could sustain independent reading. If they were able to make it until the set time, we celebrate their progress and set a goal for the next day. If they weren’t able to sustain working the entire time, we graph how many minutes they were able to sustain independent working and plan on trying again the next day.
Tools to Support and Improve Reading Stamina
Building or improving your student’s reading stamina doesn’t have to be a daunting task.
Being mindful of why reading stamina is important for your students along with having easy-to-implement strategies to support building it, will make resetting your literacy block and/or independent reading time a breeze.
Remember…
Start gradually.
Set clear routines and expectations.
Track progress.
To help you get started, you can get these resources—my expectations anchor chart and stamina tracker—AND MORE in my Daily 5 Starter Kit Bundle.
10 Steps to Instantly Improve Your Literacy Block
Loving the idea of building and improving your student’s reading stamina and wanting to go further on resetting your literacy block?
Check out my FREE 10-Step Guide to Improve Your Literacy Block.
In this guide, I walk you through 10 steps and exercises that you can apply to transform your literacy block instantly.