What Independent Readers Do (2 articles)

What Independent Readers Do
October 12, 2017 | Volume 13 | Issue 3
ASCD Express

Accelerate Learning Through Independent Reading

Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher

In his address to the American Library Association in 2005, then-Senator Barack Obama noted that "literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy." The knowledge economy relies on people who can communicate with others, engage in self-reflection and self-direction, and learn autonomously. In a world where information and technology are moving at ever-increasing rates of speed, our students need to know how to build their

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Five Ways to Intentionally Support

 Reading Independence

Gretchen Bridgers

Teachers don't just walk into a classroom, hand over a basal reader, and expect all students to read on the same level or at the same rate of speed. Nor do they expect that students independently read for lengthy chunks of time while deeply comprehending everything that they are reading.

Teaching students to read requires intentional planning, instruction, assessment, and support. Successful teachers create a classroom environment where reading doesn't just happen through luck but grows because of small, simple actions by both teacher and student.

Here are five tips to help teachers get started:

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