Independent Reading Practice

Grades K-6

Boys and Books: Find the Key to Motivation in Reading

Did you know that young boys actually like fairy tales if they are exciting and scary? Utilizing the research of William Brozo and Debby Zambo, this workshop will address a new way of engaging boys with books. Learn about the ten different archetypes of masculinity that apply to boys and their reading. This workshop will focus on identifying the archetypes and using them to match the appropriate literature for those students.

Grades 4-12

Understanding Text Complexity

Many educators are challenged each day with the task to find appropriate text for students. This workshop will explore the three factors of text complexity defined by the Common Core Standards. Utilizing engaging literary and informational text, educators will learn about qualitative and quantitative evaluations of text and how matching readers to text and tasks can increase reading proficiency.

Grades K-12

The Nuts and Bolts of a Classroom Library

Developing a quality classroom library requires planning and organization. This workshop highlights the research on the importance of classroom libraries and reading volume. Participants will learn the characteristics that strongly influence whether or not classroom libraries are effective for use to improve student reading performance. If you need to learn how to get started with creating a classroom library then this workshop is for you!

Taking the Classroom Library to New Heights

Did you know that you are what you read? This workshop takes an in-depth look at specific strategies to get students actively involved in using the classroom library and reading independently. We will address how to deepen one’s knowledge of students and their use of the classroom library, and how to expand that knowledge. Finally, we will focus on how to develop an effective management system for assessing students’ use of the classroom library and tracking their independent reading practice.

When They Aren’t Reading During SSR

Do you find that students aren’t focused during SSR (silent sustained reading) time? Do your students have a hard time transferring their oral reading skills to independent reading? This workshop will look at the research of several independent reading experts and explore ways to scaffold silent reading. This approach will provide teachers specific strategies to structure daily independent reading time and scaffold independent reading success.