Social Interactions Around Books During Independent Reading Page 153-154

Many studies have demonstrated that social interaction during learning supports higher levels of achievement and intrinsic motivation (Gambrelle, Marinak, Brooker & McCrea-Andrews, 2011). When students are taught how to discuss books with peers, they are more likely to be motivated to read a wider range of texts and engage in more in-depth conversations. For many students, the social aspect of school is important to them. When teachers capitalize on this and teach students how to effectively work with their peers, learning can be maximized. One study in particular examined three different models of sustained silent reading (SSR): traditional independent reading, independent reading followed by peer lead book discussions and student-teacher conferences during independent reading. The second model, that encourage social interaction, showed increases in reading achievement and improved attitudes towards literacy (Gambrell et al., 2011).

Conference Train During the Conference Train, the teacher and students set up three to five chairs beside each other in an available space. The teacher sits at the front of the train and listens to the first student read. The other students on the train are independently reading their own books. This is a great opportunity for the teacher to hold a mini-conference with students to focus on individual reading strategies. The other three to four students who are in close proximity have the advantage of overhearing the conversation and potentially applying that information to their immediate reading. When the dialogue is complete, the first student moves to the back of the line and the other students moving forward. I used the Conference Train strategy when I taught kindergarten/grade one. We had a colourful train drawn on a large piece of cardboard that was easily stored behind a bookshelf. Other classrooms use conductors hats, hand-out train tickets and use train themed cues (e.g. all aboard, next stop). Students have the opportunity to interact with the text and teacher both directly and indirectly. As well, progress monitoring and individual and conferencing with each student is built into the regular schedule.

Stead, T. (2008). Good choice: Supporting independent reading and response. Stenhouse Publishers.

R5 R5 is a structured form of independent reading that allows students the necessary time to practice reading, reflect about what they are reading and share with a partner and the class. The five Rs are read, relax, reflect, respond, and rap. This approach was created to focus on comprehension and metacognition strategies while increasing students reading engagement through the motivation of peer interaction. The teacher pays special attention to the books the students are choosing, constantly reviewing and recommending just right books. As students realize they were being held accountable for their reading through reading logs, partner work and class sharing, almost everyone challenged themselves to read more and wider variety of texts. 1. Read and Relax Students read books of their choice. Routines are put in place so that book selection and restroom breaks happen prior to reading. During this time, the teacher circulates through the room and records the title and page number and then reads and conferences with individual students. 2. Reflect and Respond Students then have five to ten minutes to log their books and quickly reflect on what they have read. Prompts specific to certain strategies are available to help students get started. 3. Rap Students discuss their thoughts about what they have read with a partner. Then students share their partners ideas and strategies with the class. The class then identifies which metacognition strategy was used. This promotes active listening and paraphrasing skills.

Kelley, M., & Clausen-Grace, N. (2006). R5: The sustained silent reading makeover that transformed readers. The Reading Teacher, 60(2), 148-156.

Gambrelle, L., Marinak, B., Brooker, H., & McCrea-Andrews, H. (2011). The importance of independent reading. In S. Samuels & A. Farstrup (Eds.), What the research has to say about reading instructions (pp. 143-158). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.