5 Things You Can Do When Students Can’t Find An Independent Reading Book

Right from the start of the school year, I work to create a culture of reading. I am fortunate that the sixth graders coming to me have had independent reading as a part of their reading instruction since kindergarten, so I usually don’t how much work to do in convincing them of the importance of independent reading or in establishing expectations for behavior during this period of class.

But there are usually a handful of students each year that just aren’t into reading and need to be won over. These are the students that can’t find a book they are interested in, even after you’ve already talked with them and tried to help them find books. These are the students who are constantly browsing the bookshelf for a new book when they should be reading. 

Here's five things you can do when students say they can't find a book they want to read. Or better yet, five things you can do to prevent students from ever saying that they can't find a book for independent reading.

What Small Groups Look Like During Independent Reading In My Classroom

This year I wanted to add more small group time to my classroom routines. I often use rotations, including a teacher-led station, but not every day or week. I thought about how I could incorporate a weekly check-in with each student. I decided to use independent reading time because it already happens daily. 

In past years, I've had to add small groups to my classroom routine part way through the year to target underperforming students (my school reviews our MAP data each trimester and sets goals focused on students in the lowest quintiles).⁠

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It was always a hassle to figure out how and where to add groups, and the change in routine meant some students felt singled out while other students thought that if I was talking with a group, that meant they could be talking at their seats.⁠

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This year I decided to start with small groups during independent reading time right from the get go. I had already created a schedule for who got to read on our classroom rug on what days, so it was easy to add my groups into that rotation. With 24-25 students in each of my classes, 4-5 are sitting on the rug each day and 4-5 are meeting with me at my small group table.