Good Choice!: Supporting Independent Reading and Response, K-6

by Tony Stead, David Booth (Foreword by)

For those of us who treasure memories of a childhood spent curled up with favorite books, it may be shocking to realize that reading is a chore for many of our students. In recent years, the increased class time spent on reading instruction geared toward measurable performance -- from tests to book reports -- means fewer children have the opportunity to discover reading for pleasure, or to research topics that interest them. If we want children to become truly engaged readers, we must set aside time every day for them to independently select, read, and respond. Of course, just providing time and a variety of reading materials isn't adequate to ensure that students achieve the independence they need to become lifelong readers. Students need guidance on selecting materials at an appropriate level, they need practice in the habits of readers, and they need the social reinforcement of sharing ideas about their reading with peers.

In Good Choice!, noted author and literacy specialist Tony Stead outlines the components that foster successful independent reading in grades K-6. He examines practices that:

establish independent reading and borrowing routines; provide adequate resources for independent reading; support children in selecting a wide range of appropriate texts; offer opportunities for children to respond to their reading.

With examples appropriate to emergent readers in grades K-2, as well as more seasoned readers in grades 3-6, Tony provides a comprehensive plan for integrating independent reading throughout the day. He offers systems for organizing the class library and checking books in and out, lessons on book selection and responding to text, advice on supporting children and parents in home reading, guidance on conferring with students, and an array of helpful appendix materials including graphic organizers, questionnaires, assessment and monitoring rubrics.

Research shows that children who have the opportunity to read independently not only become more literate adults, they also, in fact, perform better on state tests and other reading assessments. Good Choice! provides everything you need to create classrooms where students can fulfill their reading potential now and for the future.

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2008

Reviews

[Sunday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review I wrote for IRCJ -
Tony Stead has developed an essential resource for nurturing students’ independent reading and thoughtful response. His central theme is children should enjoy reading across the school day, see themselves as readers, and develop a lifelong love of reading. He tackles the complex issues related to developing this kind of learning environment head on with refreshing ideas. For example, teachers can start the school year with whole class mini-lessons on selecting texts and reading widely. One mini-lesson includes shared writing of a list on “How we know when a text is comfortable and just right” (p. 93) as well as a list called “How do you know when a book is too hard?” Another mini-lesson focuses on selecting different forms of reading materials such as magazines, brochures and pamphlets.
While this type of learning environment nurtures joy in learning, it is also rigorous, nurturing achievement in reading and writing. Stead is diligent in addressing the differences between the primary and intermediate grades. Detailed notes are included about how to organize and manage this approach. He addresses how to confer with students in a way that extends the student’s understanding and that also offers the teacher assessment data to drive instruction. In addition, Stead expects children to come to conferences prepared to discuss how they have met their goals and offers suggestions for related instruction.
The format is appealing with lots of examples of students’ work as well as charts with details summarizing key concepts. The appendices include an abundant number of resources including simple charts for parents on how to support a child in selecting and reading texts at home.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe this wasn't a good choice for me because I already use Donalyn Miller's ideas for independent t reading, but I thought all the suggestions were very obvious. I feel like I wasted my money on this one.

[Jen Munnerlyn]

This book was recommended by Katherine Casey who led the NESA Literacy Coaching group meeting in Jordan in November, 2008.