Independent Reading

Teachers need allow students to choose books based on the student interest and reading level. Students need to choose different types of literature. Sibbererson and Szymuiak (2003) explain " the key is placing value on all genres and types of reading materials so that students experience the variety they will encounter outside of school(63). I think it is very important for teachers to stress the importance of choosing things that children are interested in reading other than novels. This is important because students are not going to be reading novels all their life they may have to read articles, annual reports etc. This allows students to become more familiar with text earlier in their lives so they are prepared for the future. Also, it allows students to explore different kind of writing styles and they might not get bored reading different types of reading material if they are interested in it. During Independent reading the teacher should go around the classroom and observe the students. There are many ways to assess students during independent reading.  Sibberson and Szymuiak (2003) state things teachers can do 

• Analyze reading logs to learn about students' reading patterns. We also encourage students to reflect on their logs to discover what they can learn about themselves as readers
• Take the status of the class each day to become familiar with what students are doing and decide how and when to support them in their reading 
• Learn from the student's reflection about their own reading and the reading goals they identify for themselves
• Listen to conversations and observe students during independent reading time(67)

These methods are great way to see how the students' reading strengths and weaknesses. The teacher should help the student so they can strive to become more independent readers.