KEY FINDINGS
> > “Students who read a lot score better on every imaginable test—the NAEP, the SAT, and the ACT. One of the best ways of doing this is to allow students to read habitually, and in ways that literate people the world over read ... Watch your strong readers. What is one factor they all have in common? They read a lot” (Calkins, et al., 2012). > > “Most American students do not read a great deal. In the typical classroom, students spend less than 20% of the reading/language arts block reading” (Brenner and Hiebert, 2010). “Even a little more reading time can go a long way. In fact, as little as an additional seven minutes of reading per day has been shown to differentiate classrooms in which students read well from those in which students read less well” (Kuhn and Schwanenflugel, 2009; cited in Hiebert, 2014). > > “Frequent readers are defined as children who read for fun five to seven days a week. Frequent readers ages 12-17 read an average of 39.6 books a year, while infrequent readers in this age group read an average of only 4.7 books a year > > There are three powerful factors that can predict whether a child across ages 6-17 will be a frequent reader: • Children’s level of reading enjoyment • Parents who are frequent readers • A child’s belief that reading for fun is important Additional factors predict reading frequency for students ages 6-11 include: • Being read aloud to 5-7 days a week before kindergarten • Being read aloud to currently • Spending less online computer time Predictors for kids ages 12-17 include: • Having time for independent reading during the school day
• Reading more since starting to read e-books • Having 150 or more print books in the home (Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report: Fifth Edition)
> > Reading stamina refers to students’ ability to focus, engage with texts, and read independently for periods of time without being distracted. “A strong silent reading habit (of which stamina is a part) depends on the experiences that their teachers provide them. …If students haven’t had the kind of support that develops solid silent reading habits by the time that they are in third grade, changing direction and developing appropriate habits may require instructional programs that are particularly well designed” (Hiebert, 2014).
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VOLUME, STAMINA, AND AVID, INDEPENDENT READING
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