Reading Independently

There are lots of positive thoughts students have about reading independently, but this post is about the negative ones, why they’re valid, and how we as teachers can respond. You can see an Instagram live version of this post here.

Here are some of the most common thoughts I hear students say.

1. I’m being forced to do this.

Teachers tell students it’s “choice reading” or “independent reading,” but the book is the only thing they are allowed to choose, and usually with parameters. They’re not wrong that they are forced, but that word certainly doesn’t help them reap any possible benefits.

2. No one does this.

What they might mean is that they never see any of their friends or family read (nor do they read). And that might be true. Even if they are readers, they probably never time themselves to read for just 10 minutes in a room full of 30 people doing the same thing. That’s not how most readers read either.

3. I’m bad at this. I must be doing it wrong.

Students collect evidence from their teachers’ corrections that they are “doing reading wrong” or that they are bad at it. When they get those labels year after year, it’s no wonder they think being “bad at reading” is a fixed trait, not a by-product of consistently not being included in the reading done in school.

4. Ten minutes a day isn’t going to suddenly make me a better reader.

Teachers often try to reason with students, explaining research about the thirty-million word gap to get students to read. Even if students buy into the now-suspect study, it doesn’t take a researcher to see that 10 minutes a day isn’t going to come close to closing that gap. If students don’t buy into the study (as they shouldn’t), it still begs the question–isn’t there something a teacher can do to help me read better? If the secret was just books this whole time, why is English Language Arts even a subject?

5. The teacher doesn’t trust me.

Students have to fill out all this paperwork to prove that they read–the thing teachers wanted them to do. If teachers thought that reading was that great, they wouldn’t need to double-check. They would trust the books and the reader to just do it.

6. The teacher just wants me to be quiet.

The first ten minutes of class are reserved for everyone sitting still and not talking. If the teacher is only offering admonishments to be quiet and read, a student may wonder if the teacher is just looking for some peace and compliance.

7. This isn’t important.

They might think this if, after reading time, the class goes on to something else–a whole separate unit–and the reading doesn’t come up at all. If it were really important, it would be the main thing. Again, this is a thought I can totally understand.

8. Reading is boring.

In school, we certainly have a lot of ways to make something boring, but I also believe that boring is a mindset. If you expect something to be boring, you will often find that it is. Other people have a different mindset–they find the exact same thing fascinating.

Using a Thought Ladder

You cannot argue someone out of a thought. They must decide to choose a different one for themselves, and they often need evidence and support to make that shift. One of my favorite personal tools for this is a thought ladder.

A thought ladder comes out of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Sometimes, when we identify a thought that is no longer helping us, making the jump to the exact opposite creates too much cognitive dissonance for our brains. If a student tries to go from “I’m bad at reading” to “I’m an awesome reader,” their brain will come at them with a dump truck full of past memories of why they are not-so-awesome.

Instead, we start small, like climbing up one rung of a ladder.

Observing One’s Thoughts

Here’s an example.

A student is maybe thinking that they are forced to read.

A teacher can mirror back to them, “So you keep thinking you are being forced to read.”

This phrase, “you keep thinking” or “I keep thinking” is the first rung up on the ladder. It creates just a sliver of distance between the thought (which sounds like a fact) and the fact that it is a thought. Now the student can observe what they “keep thinking” and decide if they want to keep thinking it.

Thinking Neutral Thoughts

Next is often a neutral thought, which is an actual fact: “Part of class everyday is for reading.” This is true. It removes the connotation of “forced to read.” Also, no one is forced to read. A student can always not do it; they just might not like the consequences (if the teacher includes some).

If going to a neutral thought is too big of a jump, because the student may be really angry about reading, you can try this thought with them: “What I’m asked to do in class is not what I want to do.” Again, can’t argue here, but we are taking out the force.

Entertaining Positive Thoughts

After the student seems to accept the neutral thought (which may take a week or more), a teacher can inch the student toward a more positive thought: “The part of class used for reading could be beneficial.” The phrase “could be” makes it easier to accept. It’s not for sure. It just could be.

Once the student has secured a few reading times that were actually beneficial or enjoyable, you could help them practice the thought that “Reading benefits me.” Again, not saying always. There are times I read and remember nothing (no benefit!), but certainly a better mindset to approach the time than being force to do it.

Creating Lifelong Readers

Perhaps the most important thought we want our students to think is “I am a reader.” This represents an identity shift. With this thought, many of the thoughts above will dissipate.

The thought ladder I use to get students there is a key part of my upcoming Creating Readers Workshop. This is my last call to join the waitlist. Details are coming soon!