RUNNING HEAD: Independent Reading e-Learning Module 1

Independent Reading e-Learning Module

Courtney Smith
EDU 624 E-Learning Design for Diverse Learners
Dr. Jennifer Wojcik

Independent Reading Module 2
Introduction
Getting young students to read independently, and enjoy it, has always been a challenge
for teachers. Whether the student lacks the abilities to read or has trouble finding a book of
interest, independent reading is a feat that has yet to be mastered in the classroom. Elementary
teachers especially search for ways to internally motivate students to read on their own because
the benefits will last a lifetime. This project will focus on an e-Learning module meant to
encourage and incorporate independent reading in elementary classrooms.
Environment
Currently, teachers struggle to get students to read for a few reasons. One reason is
students may lack the level of engagement needed to read by themselves. According to Kelly &
Clausen-Grace (2009), Engaged readers actively interact with text, seeking to understand what
they have read. They avoid distractions and socially interact with others regarding text (p. 313).
When students are disinterested in reading, they will use avoidance strategies such as stare at the
pages, go to the bathroom, or take a nap (Kelly & Clausen-Grace, 2009, p. 313).
Another reason would be that students choose books that are too easy or too hard to read.
Having choice is important because it allows students to take ownership while reading, but when
students choose books that dont fit, it can make reading unfulfilling or frustrating. Burkins
(2014) writes, Independent reading that offers guided choice, that teaches children how to select
books that are on an appropriate reading level for them, and during which teachers confer with
students yields positive result (para. 2).
The last reason students may not read independently is they dont understand the
distinction between academic and leisure reading. From the early school years of school,
students are programmed to read and then immediately answer comprehension questions. They
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see reading as a task rather than something pleasurable. Johnson (2014) reports Let your
students see that reading isnt a chore, a competition, or a test. Its a lifelong skill that we use to
gain information, find a new perspective, and tickle our brains or our funny bones (para. 20).
By getting students to realize that reading allows them to escape to various world, their
engagement and interest should increase due to the lack of pressure to fulfill graded reading
assignments.
Research in the late 80s and early 90s have shown many benefits for independent reading
in elementary school years. Independent reading researchers Greaney and Hegarty (1987) found
that Correlational measures show a significant relation between the amount of time devoted to
independent reading and reading achievement, verbal ability, attitude toward reading, and home
influence factors (Cullinan, 1999, para. 22). Watkins and Edwards (1992) revealed Academic
performance is closely related to reading performance as quoted in Cullinan (1999, para. 23).
Krashen (1995) found that even reading out of school resulted in better reading comprehension
and related literacy skills in the classroom (Cullinan, 1999, para. 26). Reading is vital for
students to perform because it is the gateway to interacting with a plethora of other content areas,
and independent reading can help to introduce students to them.
Population
This independent reading e-Learning module will include an audience for a group of 24
Kindergarten to fifth grade elementary teachers in an urban setting in Waterbury, CT. The
majority of the students will be eligible for free or reduced lunch and about 20-30% population
of English as a Second Language (ESL) and Special Education (SPED) students in each
classroom. Many teachers will have negative experiences with the implementation of
independent reading time in their classrooms due to low student engagement and varied reading
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abilities. The majority of teachers will admit to not devoting independent reading time that last
longer than 15 minutes with little to no teacher monitoring. This population is diverse because
some teachers have degrees in remedial reading, while most do not. Some teachers have a wide
reading ability range, while others have a more consistent range of reading abilities.
Analysis
To ensure this Independent Reading e-Learning module will be successful, an analysis of
instruction and learning goals are necessary to align the population with the appropriate direction
and practices.
Instructional Goal
The goal of this Independent Reading e-Learning module is for elementary teachers to
learn why independent reading is helpful and how to incorporate it into a classroom with diverse
readers.
Instructional Analysis
The following are the initial steps to meeting the above instructional goal:
1. Teachers will need to know why independent reading is beneficial for young readers.
2. Teachers will have to distinguish between different types of readers.
3. Teachers will need to know what books are appropriate for independent readers.
a. Teachers will have to understand what book leveling is and how to use it to
promote independent reading.
4. Teachers will learn various strategies to encourage various reader types to read
independently.
Learning Analysis
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After speaking to some teachers about their experiences with independent reading, I
found a few notable trends through various grades. Many teachers understand that independent
reading helps to increase stamina for other contexts such as testing and reading comprehension.
Several teachers have experiences with independent reading models such as Drop Everything
and Read (D.E.A.R.) and Silent Sustained Reading (S.S.R.). They also feel that due to
instructional time focusing on other areas such as project based learning, independent reading is
inferior because of its indirect learning nature. Teacher that teach K-2 noted that they spend
more time reading aloud to model efficient reading, while 3-5 teachers realized that when
students are given the opportunity to read independently, they choose books that are too
challenging or too easy for their reading abilities. The major consensus about independent
reading is they have practiced independent reading models such as D.E.A.R. and S.S.R., but not
effectively to feel that students were showing results in their literacy performance. These
teachers should also recognize the difference between academic and pleasure reading. It is
known that Readers read for different purposes. Sometimes they read for pleasure. Sometimes
they read for information. Their reason for reading impacts the way they read.when the text
does not meet their purposes they may switch to another text. (Commission on Reading of the
National Council of Teachers of English, 2004, para. 5). Academic reading involves more
critical thinking, while pleasure reading should be more enjoyable and used for interest building.
By knowing this difference, teachers can promote book choices that students will find to be
entertaining.
Early researchers Watkins and Edwards (1992) have found that teachers attitudes
toward reading significantly affect the amount of extracurricular reading students do as quoted in
Cullinan (1999, para. 23). This learning opportunity can not only interest students in reading
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independently, but enlighten teachers on productive strategies to increase motivation and
implementation in the classroom. It is imperative for teachers to know that careful monitoring
helps teachers learn what skills are needed to teach students (Routman, 2002, p. 87). Struggling
and low-performing need the most practice with authentic reading experiences (Routman, 2002,
p. 84).
Learning Objectives
1. By the time a learner finishes this eLearning lesson, he or she should be able to identify
the benefits of independent reading for students.
2. By the time a learner finishes this eLearning lesson, he or she should be able to prepare a
classroom library by interest level and/or reading level.
3. By the time a learner finishes this eLearning lesson, he or she should be able to
demonstrate to students how to find books based on their reading levels and/or interest.
4. By the time a learner finishes this eLearning lesson, he or she should be able to analyze
student reading habits.
5. By the time a learner finishes this eLearning lesson, he or she should be able to promote
positive reinforcement and implement reading engagement strategies.
Two Activities
In order for the elementary teachers involved in this Independent Reading E-Learning
Module to show learning, they must engage in learning activities that will ensure they have met
the learning objectives. One activity that will meet the objective of identifying the benefits of
independent reading will be to take a pre and post assessment on a website. Independent reading
has several benefits for young readers and by teachers knowing why they should incorporate it
into their classrooms will make implementing it more valuable.
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To begin the module, teachers will take a pre-assessment on www.quizlet.com made by
the designer of the module. The pre-assessment will include 8 true or false statements such as:
Independent reading is only needed for students on the lowest reading levels, allowing students
to choose their own books helps students feel confident when reading, teachers can allow
students to choose any book they like, teachers should not disrupt students while reading
independently, if students read different books, students will not be able to talk to each other,
teachers should include writing during independent reading time, there is no set time for students
to read independently, and students should not interact with each until after all reading is done.
There will also be one open ended response that will ask teachers to describe in detail the reading
skill benefits of independent reading (fluency, building background, increases vocabulary, etc.).
After the pre-assessment is submitted, teachers will watch a YouTube video and read a short
article on why independent reading is essential for young readers. The YouTube video by Best
Practices Weekly discusses how the universal trends found between master teachers and their
implementation of independent reading from an article by S. Sanden entitled Independent
Reading: Perspectives and Practices of Highly Effective Teachers in 2012. In addition to the
video, the online article they will read entitled The Effects of Independent Reading on Reading
Achievement focuses on three specific reading benefits that readers will gain which are building
vocabulary, building schema, and increasing fluency (Anderson, et. al, 1997). Interacting with
these two sources will give teachers more insight as to how useful independent reading will be in
the classroom and for the students.
To conclude this activity, teachers will then take the post-assessment for their
understanding and identification for independent reading benefits. This assessment with reveal
to the designer which teachers have met the objective of identifying benefits of independent
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reading based on their pre and post scores. The designer will know which teachers have met the
objective by answering 8 or more statements including the open ended response. Teachers
should be prepared to continue the module with a stronger understanding that independent
reading is not just allowing students to sit and read any book for five minutes, but having
students apply reading strategies to leveled books that they can read comfortably and enjoy by
themselves and with others.
Another activity in this module will include teachers realizing that their classroom library
is a major part of the process of independent reading. This activity connects to the objective of
teachers being able to prepare a classroom library by reading or interest level by the end of the
module. According to Marshall (2012), since students must make a selection thats on their
reading level, teachers need to have an exceptional classroom library. That means books on
many different levels, topics, as well as genres. And like any library, classroom books need to
be organized so students can easily make a selection (para. 7). It is vital that students are able
to choose books that fit their independent needs and by building and organizing a classroom
library that can fulfill this, students will enjoy reading independently a lot more.
This activity will have teachers use a book leveling program from www.Scholastic.com
called Book Wizard. This will help teachers create bins or sections of just right books. Teachers
will choose ten books from their own classroom library. They will then open up a document
made by the designer found in the e-Learning module that will be downloaded and opened in
Microsoft Word as a table. This document will need to be created before teachers begin the
module and embedded into the Weebly site for teachers to click on. Teachers will then type the
names of the titles, give the general topic of each book, predict what grade level the book is, and
make a prediction as to what Lexile or (Degree of Reading Assessment) DRA level each book is.
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After this is complete, teachers will then enter each book title or author name into the Book
Wizard program to obtain its reading level information. Teachers will be provided with DRA
and Lexile level, interest level grade, genre, theme and subject, a brief description of the story,
and a grade level equivalence number. Teachers will then use this information to fill in the DRA
and Lexile level, genre, and interest grade level for each book they have researched in the table.
To conclude the activity, teachers will then answer questions based on their findings of
the books they have leveled. The questions they will answer will include:
How accurate were your predictions based on their DRA and/or Lexile reading
levels?
What reading level and/or interest groups can be made with the books you have
chosen?
Were there any books that were not the reading level or grade level you expected
and Why?
After this experience, how does book leveling a classroom library support
independent reading for students?
An extension to this activity for technology-savvy teachers is to download a free book
leveling application on their smartphone such as Book Leveler to scan the books barcode or
input the ISBN number of 5 out of 10 chosen books to cross reference the information from
Book Wizard. They will then briefly answer questions such as: How effective was the book
leveling application compared to Book Wizard? Was it accurate? Was it more convenient?
What is a setback? This activity will allow teachers to get a sense of how a leveled library can
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make student choice faster and simpler. It will avoid wasting time and can promote appropriate
book choices.
Multimedia Content
Multimedia incorporation into this e-Learning experience is vital for engagement and full
comprehension of content. During this module, teachers will come into contact with sources that
will expect them to engage digitally. They are designed to suit the needs of different learners.
Videos will be a big component of this e-Learning module to provide teachers with visuals actual
independent reading techniques, what independent reading looks like in a classroom, and how
beneficial it is to incorporate into the classroom. The videos will be no more than 3 minutes,
with the exception of the Best Practices Weekly video to avoid an overload of working memory
capacity and focus on irrelevant features (Reiser and Dempsey, 2012, p. 316). By using videos,
it will also help to reach various learners and meet their needs. YouTube video provide closed
captions, volume levels and a full screen option to enlarge to video.
In addition to videos, teachers will view pictures of a leveled library, instructional
models to promote choosing an appropriate book such as the five finger rule, and a list of ways
to positively promote independent reading. Some learners can take more information from a
visual rather than a video because it can make learning mentally passive while watching a
video whereas a learner has to invest mental effort when viewing still visuals (Reiser and
Dempsey, 2012, p. 316). Pictures will also help for teachers to actually visually how they could
arrange their own libraries by colored bins, clearly written labels, and in a location that is
accessible for students. Other multimedia content that will be used is a Microsoft Word
document that can be edited and completed on the computer or printed and done manually if
needed. If done on a computer, teachers can zoom in if they need more visual support. If done
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manually, teachers can feel the security of writing down their answers on the paper. The online
pre and post assessment is another multimedia component of the module because teachers will
digitally assess their initial knowledge level of independent reading benefits and compare it to
their knowledge level after viewing a video and reading an article. All of the multimedia sources
will give teachers a digital interaction with content in order to grasp how independent reading is
effective in elementary classrooms.
Guiding Material
The following guiding material are detailed directions for the book leveling activity:
To begin the book leveling activity, click on the book leveling tab located at the top of the page.
Next, choose 10 different books from you classroom library. Make sure the books contain some
variety of topic and genre. After clicking on the tab, you should then read the introduction and
then click on the link for the Microsoft Word document to be downloaded. Your computer
should indicate that the file has been download and click it to open it. Once the document is
opened, please fill in the first four boxes of the given table:
Name _________________________________ Grade Level ____________________


Titles


Topic of
Book

Grade Level
Prediction

DRA or Lexile
Reading Level
Prediction

Actual
Grade
Level

Actual DRA or
Lexile Reading
Level

1. Salt in His Shoes

Basketball

Grade 2

DRA 24

Grades 3-5

DRA 28
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Next, go back to the e-Learning module Weebly site and click on the book leveling
website link from www.scholastic.com called Book Wizard. Input each book title individually
into the Search for All Books search box and click find books. Look for the book you have
entered by looking at the list of titles and book cover images. Click on the correct book and
review the books reading level information on the left hand column. Use the provided
information from the website to go back to the Microsoft Word table and fill in the actual grade
level and actual DRA and Lexile reading level. If the book you have entered is not listed on the
website, you may skip this book, exchange it for another book option, or use the similar book
search box to look a similar book. After all book are entered and the table is completely filled in,
teachers will then use the same Microsoft Word document to answer the following questions:
1. How accurate were your predictions based on their DRA and/or Lexile reading levels?
2. What reading level and/or interest groups can be made with the books you have chosen?
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3. Were there any books that were not the reading level or grade level you expected and
Why?
4. After this experience, how does book leveling a classroom library support independent
reading for students?
As an extension, teachers can use their smartphones to level books by using a free book leveling
application called Book Leveler. You can then level 5 out of the 10 books you have leveled on
Book Wizard to see how accurate Book Levelers data is compared to Book Wizard. Teachers
can then answer the following questions about their experience:
1. How effective was the book leveling application compared to Book Wizard?
2. Was it accurate?
3. Was it more convenient?
4. What is a possible setback?
Once all of the questions have been completely answered, teachers can print their answers to
share with other teachers to gain feedback and promote discussion.
Self-Evaluation
By incorporating effective independent reading practices into the classroom, students will
be exposed to its vast literacy benefits as well as an increase for their love of reading. The
teachers that engage in this e-Learning module will have a stronger knowledge of why
independent reading is essential for instruction. They will conduct independent reading that will
develop these skills and entice students to want to read on their own volition instead of being
assigned a reading assignment.
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Classroom libraries will support independent reading by being categorized by interest
level or reading ability to give students better accessibility to accommodating books. Positive
and effective reading encouragement will be given to deter students from becoming disengaged.
Independent reading gives young students a sense of what the world has to offer through various
characters, storylines, and topics. This passion for reading can then transfer into more formal
reading assignments making learning more manageable.
To prepare for changes that need to be made, this eLearning module will be implemented
to get learner feedback to make constructive changes for better implementation. More research
can be made to include research based practices to further engage teachers to include such a
beneficial activity for their students. As a whole, this independent reading eLearning module
will inform teachers on its use, give them hands on opportunities to execute it proficiently, and
provide them with useful tools to make reading a more exciting and attractive form of
educational entertainment.



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References
Anderson, et. al. (1997). The effects of independent reading on reading achievement. Retrieved
from http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/in_read1.html
Best Practices Weekly. (2013). Best practices for independent reading. [YouTube] Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAljnfWnx-E
Book Leveler. (2014) Retrieved from http://appcrawlr.com/ios-apps/best-apps-classroom-library
Book Wizard. (2014). Scholastic. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
Burkins, J. (2014). Supporting students as they read independently. International Reading
Association. Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-
development/strategy-guides/supporting-students-they-read-30817.html
Commission on Reading of the National Council of Teachers of English. 2004. On reading,
learning to read, and effective reading instruction: An overview of what we know and
how we know it. NCTE. Retrieved from
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/onreading
Cullinan, B. (1998). Independent reading and school achievement. American Association of
School Librarians. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume32000/independe
nt
Johnson, L. (2014). 10 reasons nonreaders dont read-and how to change their minds. Scholastic
Instructor. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/10-reasons-
nonreaders-dont-read-mdash-and-how-change-their-minds
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Kelley, M. J., & Clausen-Grace, N. (2009). Facilitating engagement by differentiating
independent reading. Reading Teacher,63(4), 313-318.
Marshall, P. (2012). Independent reading-the foundation of lifelong reading. Retrieved from
http://www.k12reader.com/independent-reading-the-foundation-of-lifelong-reading/
Reiser, R. & Dempsey, J. (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology
(3
rd
ed.) Allyn & Bacon.
Routman, R. (2002). Plan for and monitor independent reading. Reading Essentials: The
Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well. Retrieved from
https://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00492/chapter6.pdf