Picture this: your most energetic class is quiet, engaged, and acquiring language at a level you didn’t think was possible. And with a little front end set up, you have zero prep for it the rest of the year. Yeah right, you think. Not MY freshmen. And how much work and planning does this take on my part? Maybe you’re thinking NO WAY. But if you’re even just a little intrigued, read on!
It is one of my favorite times of the year – it’s time for my Spanish 2 babies to spread their wings and read on their own! Sure, they read all the time in class, but…
- when have they really had a chance to read only what they want with no extra expectations other than to just read and enjoy the story?
- When does their teacher join them in the class activity to herself enjoy new stories and improve her language skills?
- When is the entire class silent, peaceful and low stress?
It is the LOWEST PREP and HIGHEST IMPACT activity we do in class.
So where do I begin?
I start off with buy-in. It is very important not to skip this step. The extent to which they really believe it works will determine how seriously they take it. The two main pieces of evidence I give them are powerful and convincing: vocabulary acquisition and grammar complexity in linguistic output. Obviously I put it in simpler terms for them, as in the images below. I invite them to watch and see how this becomes true for them as they read!
Set up/rules
I’m talking about the rules I give my students for reading time – for more advice and tips for acquiring reading materials for your library, for organizing materials and displaying them, please see HERE.
There are a number of specifics I give them, but I love the way Bryce Hedstrom puts it: “…because we are reading. We are not avoiding reading & we are not just pretending to read.”
I remind them that all those benefits we talked about only come about when we actually read. Our brain cannot make the magic happen if we starve it of the language it needs to grow. Our job is not some mid side quest, we just have to lock in to the stories and let our brain cook! Tell your students that and see if they tell you you’re cringe 😂.
Selecting something to read
I keep it super simple and tell them there are just 2 things they need to keep in mind when picking something to read:
- is it interesting to them?
- can they mostly understand it?
That is it! And I add that if they are REALLY interested in something, that may be more important than if it’s an easy read. They should leaf through it and try reading a little to see how it feels. I encourage them to grab a few books if they’re really short or if they aren’t sure, that way they aren’t stuck since I don’t allow them to get up during reading time.
What do I (the teacher) read? It varies – when I buy or print a new book for my library, I read that. Sometimes I read a Spanish book that is more my level or above, and other times I read books in Italian or French. I’ve been cooking on Duolingo these days so I’m reading in French now. I make it no secret to my students that I’m a learner too and that acquisition takes time and lots of reading!
Time to read!
Now is the easy part! Set a timer and read! I sometimes sit/stand in different parts of the room when I read, depends on how restless everyone is and this might also depend on your room setup. I feel pretty confident that reading can be done with the wildest of classes because I have been shocked over and over again by it doing so – especially during and immediately after the pandemic when I had some of the most challenging classes. I couldn’t turn my back on for a second or they’d be throwing hands or crashing out! Yet during reading, they were quiet and (almost always) engaged. I wanted to read all day!
How long to read? Ideally, read FREQUENTLY and in SHORT spurts rather than reading a bunch at a time. With my Spanish 2s we’re reading 5-10 minutes every day or two. I have only 45 minute periods, so maybe reading a bit longer works for you. I think it’s important to give the kids some agency too. Maybe read 5 minutes and then ask if they want to read a few more minutes – they often do!
Accountability? Keeping track?
There are a number of ways you can do this, but I recommend a LIGHT HAND. This is a beautiful time where they are supposed to be reading for pleasure. If you weigh it down with reading comprehension exercises or focusing on the language instead of just the story, you ruin it! At the close of reading, you can have them tell a shoulder partner what they’re reading, or share with the class. One thing I’ve been using this year is this virtual class reading journal and like it a lot (see below). I have students just write what they’re reading (title) and a few thoughts. I tell them to just jot down a quick impression, something they want to share or where they left off. Then, in just a quick click I can see a tiny glimpse into their reading experiences, and they can see one another’s too. You can also use these bookmarks. This year I’m doing colored sticky notes (as bookmarks, they don’t write on them). See more on slide 9.
So what are you waiting for?
Try it yourself and add some peace to your day, cultivate the joy of reading in your students and maybe even revive your own joy of reading for pleasure! I’ve really only scratched the surface here. For more on getting a library started, setting up and more, dig into this treasure trove of resources and tips I’ve amassed.
Do you do FVR with your classes? What questions do you have about it? Or what tips do you have to share? Drop a comment below!
Storytime con Sra. Jensen 