THE BENEFITS OF INDEPENDENT READING
The National Reading Panel, a group of leading literacy educators and scientists, noted that in the case of reading proficiency, numerous studies have found that the best readers read the most and striving readers read the least. The more that you read, the better your vocabulary, your knowledge of the world, and your ability to read (National Reading Panel, 2000, pp. 3–21). Independent reading is the culmination: the practice and application of foundational skills acquired. Indeed, research examining the relationship between various instructional practices and the reading achievements of first graders suggests that time spent reading significantly explains gains in achievement (Foorman et al., 2006). Additionally, as students progress through the second and third grades, reading instruction “reinforces the basic principles...with the goal of encouraging [children] to read more and to read increasingly more complex books independently” (Shaywitz & Shaywitz, 2020, p. 230). Over the past several decades, research has demonstrated the many ways that avid reading supports students in becoming confident, proficient readers. IMPROVES COMPREHENSION Giving students the opportunity to read independently clearly aids their literacy growth, including their comprehension skills. In a review of studies that examined the efficacy of in-school independent free-choice reading programs, Krashen (2004) found that in 51 out of 54 comparisons, free readers did as well or better on comprehension tests than students who received only direct instruction and assigned readings. Another meta-analysis reached a similar conclusion after examining 25 years of research on in-school independent reading programs (Block & Mangieri, 2002). They found that students who read more recreationally scored higher on comprehension tests in Grades 2, 4, and 8 and earned better grades. Reading for pleasure outside of school has a positive effect on comprehension as well. In one of the most extensive studies of independent reading, researchers asked fifth graders to record their daily activities outside of school. Among all the ways that the students spent their time, reading books was the best predictor of several measures of reading achievement, including gains in reading comprehension, from Grade 2 to Grade 5 (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988).
SCHOLASTIC LITERACY PRO FOUNDATION PAPER 6
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