What does independent reading look like?

As an educator teaching in the world of technology, I have had to rethink the way independent reading looks like in the classroom. With the abundance of reading apps and websites and the change in ways our students think and learn, independent reading is different than each student with a chapter book in their hands, flipping the pages as they go. In the classroom and at home, students may read a book online, swiping with their finger to flip the page. You might see them listening to a story being read aloud and reading the words with the reader. A student might also listen to an audio book, forcing them to infer and visualize what the characters are doing based on what they hear.

When reading at home with your student, I challenge you to open your mind to what independent reading can look like.

Michael is using the Epic App to listen to a story being read. He does not have the text in front of him, so he is forced to infer and visualize the story. 

 

Ethan listens to a reader while tracking the words across the page. The Capstone website lights up each word as it is being read, increasing the rate a student may read independently. 

Lexi enjoys a good old-fashioned book from the classroom library! 

Avery is using Big Universe to read a non-fiction book on tsunamis. This website does not read to the students but gives them high interest books that reinforce independent reading skills.