Yes, yes YES. I used it all year this year pretty much as you originally described, and it was MAGICAL. When my students saw they had read over 1,000 pages in a one school year, they were FLOORED - what a huge win for them!! And it's SO easy to tell if a student is lying. It's also helped me realize who needs more reading help, who has memory issues, etc. Absolutely doing again, likely every year of my career.
I'm a subsitute teacher I learned from two teachers watching them, one gave them choose a book any book 15 minutes on a sheet write ssr title of book author brief summary of what you read and page numbers that you read that's it. I'm a long term sun I love using this 15 minutes won and done. One teacher even used comic books sometimes it worked she collected at end of day this was an alternative school. Sometimes I try you said if they read wink 😅 I do it beginning of class it sets the tone mood of the class.
The way you scan through the book and stop on random pages - I call those accountability checks. I have a video I'll be sharing where I demonstrate how I do it (with a live student model). Since I always allow my students to choose their own books, I had to find a way to hold them accountable. If they can pass the accountability check, then we move on to the fun part: Discussing the book. I never discuss books with students who have not demonstrated comprehension mastery. This year, my 9th graders are required to read 70% non-fiction, so I do encourage the use of sticky notes to help them during the accountability check. I realized the state exam is mostly non-fiction, so is college, and the SAT. We will discuss fiction together in class via a parade of short stories. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
@@highrawvegan Hi! I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the video link, too! I teach AP Lang, so I want to launch a non-fiction-focused SSR program this semester. Thanks! :D
I feel your comment on never getting to read. I'm a writer that spends too much time reading and writing for work, that unless I sneak a book in bath, I just can't carve out time to read. I also love 'book talks!' I am a homeschooler of several kids and I know your advice is for teachers, but I just love this idea. How wonderful that you've found a way to get it into the classroom. When we read a great book, we just want to talk about it. Since I have three kids, and not 30X6, when he recently asked me to read a book so we could really talk about it, my HS, I melted. Finally! Love SSR. Didn't know it had a name, but such experiences can be found in the pages of a book!
I've done book talks for a few years now and have given the option of either make a video, present to the class, or one on one. I like that you take the one on one time to connect with your student. The strategies you use while you listen to them are also great ideas. Here in BC we are working towards grade-less assessment (proficiency scale) so I would probably adapt that. But other than that, lots of great ideas!
As a former teacher of 9th grade English, I wished I'd had some of these How-to videos 30 years ago. Heck, 10 years ago would've been great, too. There truly is such a thing as "teacher burnout." I had kids read for 20 minutes and then fill out a reading log form in U.S. History as a different way of individually talking history with them. A substantial number of my students read below grade level due to many factors (ELL students, disdain for reading, etc.), but I still loved the job. For a while, had book talks with them after school, but it was a burnout, and at the end of the year I was exhausted. In my years of experience, I've known two teachers who've had heart attacks at school (both were English teachers btw). Another English teacher colleague died over the Memorial Day weekend. Her last words to me that Friday were:"I'm effing exhausted." Teaching is one of the most noble professions there is, but it isn't a kickback job. The good teachers just make it look easy...
Oh, Albaby650, I'm so sorry to hear about your colleague. That's horrific. Just over a year ago, my friend Eric, a beloved science teacher, died the day after he retired. Seriously, he was retired for ONE DAY. The physical and mental strain of doing this job well can be overwhelming. I've felt that burn-out, too, and a major motivator for me is to show folks short-cuts, tips, ideas to save them time and sanity. Doing this online work puts more wind in my sails because I feel like I'm doing something to fight the good fight. Glad you're here with me!
Mad respect for the practical advice and information you share. This is truly giving back to the profession. I can imagine that you're a very dynamic teacher in the classroom. Makes the heart swell a bit when I see good teachers in action. Yet last week when I subbed at the old school, I saw teachers already fighting end of the week fatigue. Hard to be dynamic when you're pooped.
Also, sorry about your friend. SMH. For our Shelley, who had more sass than anyone on the faculty, and who had been instrumental in our receiving a 6-year clearance from WASC, it seemed that the administrators didn't recognize, other than in a perfunctory way. Fortunately, I did get out in time. For me, the tipping point was when the district mandated that for the following year, grades would be posted six times a semester instead of three. I told them that I couldn't grade essays like a machine, and the result would be that I'd give kids more scantron tests, and fewer higher-level thinking questions. Sometimes, I give kids back their essays to rewrite for various legit reasons, and that makes posting the grades even more stressful. Didn't feel like they wanted to listen to the old grizzled vet and after consulting with the wife, chose to retire at the end of the year. Luckily, I could afford retirement (no children). Don't know if it related to teaching, but found I had three major blockages in my Widowmaker artery 18 months later. Modern medicine cleared out the old pipe and I feel great, but when I see my old colleagues struggling to keep up, I do worry. Don't need to respond. Teachers always have tasks to complete....
Thank you so much for this video!! I’m definitely going to try your book talk form. I think that will hold them accountable without making it feel like AR. I can’t wait to get started!! Thank you!
I love this! How do you handle students who are significantly behind in reading skills? I teach 10th, and I have a few students that read at elementary grade level. Do you adjust page requirements like we do for IEPs that say reduced paragraphs to 3 max for writing? I would assume we let them read what they like at their level, but they’d likely need to read several books to meet the page requirements. Thanks!
Yes, Bridgett, you've got it. Those students are handled on a case-by-case basis and the reading goal is set by the IEP team. I also take into consideration the density of the book the student chooses.
It's always fascinating to me to see how other communities build their school day/curriculum. Well, the good news is we don't need the school's permission to read for an hour a week on our own time. Be a rebel - read books! :)
Hi quickchange, I've used this on both a 5-day-a-week traditional schedule and the A/B block. On the block, we just assign SSR for the last day I see the class each week, always a Thursday or Friday, and then only for about 40 minutes of our 90 minute class. Works like a charm! :)
Easy! They can make up their reading session at home. Just bring me a note signed by their guardian stating that the student read for 45 minutes at home and I replace the points.
Hi Laura! Love your stuff! Quick question-- where do you stand on graphic novels for SSR? I'm torn in that I know graphic novels help reluctant readers and is a cool medium; however, there are significantly less words per page and many students fly through them. How have you handled this?
A couple of moves you can make. You could just eliminate them as an option, but I've found lots of books have illustrations of varying expansiveness. Another more flexible approach is to allow one graphic novel per semester, but the student has to work with you ahead of time to determine a fair page-count. Essentially, how many full pages of text do you two agree are included in that graphic novel that would be the page-number equivalent for a traditional novel? Agree on that number and your student can read it but then they'll will also need to read other books to hit the page/grade goal.
Hi, do you think this would be beneficial for EFL students? I teach high school in Puerto Rico. My curriculum is ELA, using the common core standards, but the majority of my students are beginners in the English language, even though the have been taking English classes since kindergarten.
Great question, Kimberly! Yes, I do think with modification of the page counts, this process would still be a good fit for EFL students. The trick will be to help students find the right book at the right reading level to keep them interested and focused. Hope you find your path! :)
I love this!! I am using it in my class but I have come across something that I need some advice on. If you have assigned 250 pages for the class and a kid reads a book with 500 pages, he then has 250 pages of carry over. How do you handle that? Does he automatically receive an A for the next quarter or does he still need to read something else the next quarter?
Molly Raley Looks like you've been blessed with a bookworm, Molly. I get one or two of these kids each year, readers who just devour books. Yes, in my classes, this student would be allowed to Book Talk with me until he's logged the 1,000 page requirement for the year to receive the full 100 points on each of the quarter assignments. At that point, he still needs to bring an SSR book to read and enjoy in class each Friday for the rest of the year to earn the weekly 10 points but he no longer needs to Book Talk with me when he finishes a book. That bank account of book pages will just sit in my file until it's time to enter quarter grades. Some years, my bookworms finish their full year's requirements by November or so. Maybe you have a student who will break that record!
I have from time to time depending on a student's individual needs/situation, but it's hard to Book Talk with a digital version because of the page-flipping thing. Also, most tablets/Kindles are internet-enabled and that's a temptation I want to remove from our SSR time. Generally, I prefer actual books for this assignment.
Hi Laura, I’m thinking to have my 6th graders do the 250 page SSR. I’m also planning a novel study of about 350 pages for the quarter. Is that too much? Should I give them time in class for the novel study reading too? I also use your bell-work resources for them, which work well enough for 6th grade 😅. I’m thinking if they do the novel reading and bell-work, we might not have time for anything else. (First-year 😅)
Welcome to this side of the teacher's desk, mindfulnas! I haven't used this specific SSR page guideline with 6th graders, but I'm thinking the same scale will work. Younger reader books tend to have larger font and wider spacing, so most of your kids should still be able to read one or two books per quarter to reach that 250-page goal for an "A"/excellent mark. Kids with IEPs may require personalized adjustments of the page goals, so keep that in mind. As for the full-class novel study, that's always a separate assignment in my classes. I suppose you could allow in-class time for kids to read the next chunk of the required class novel, but I wouldn't use that as part of the SSR assignment. I equate class novel studies to meat-and-potatoes nourishment, while SSR is more like dessert. Both are valuable in a literary diet, but they give us different things. Hope this is helpful. :)
Love this idea! I am going to give this a try because up until now my 7th graders have used book logs and short summaries to get credit for their SSR but this is a game-changer for me! One question: Do you explain your grading policy for the book talks in your pdf forms? TFS
Terrific, LearningWithLa! I'm guessing your 7th graders will love having that one-on-one time with you. And yes, indeed, the pdfs will have everything you need to explain the process to your students: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SSR-Tired-of-Book-Reports-Try-this-FREE-idea-instead-Easy-grading-for-you-494444 Enjoy! :)
Any tips on attempting SSR while in distance learning? I came up with an idea but not sure if it's going to work; would love to hear your input on attempting SSR in distance learning.
I hear you, John. A lot of the procedures we used pre-COVID are going to look much different this year. I'm still teaching in-person this fall, but if I were facing an online-only launch I'd probably hit the "pause" button on SSR until we return to the physical classroom. You might make it an optional assignment or suggestion, but I'm not sure how I'd be able to schedule 175 Book Talks each quarter remotely on top of everything else being put on our plates. This one feels best as an in-person experience. Not sure I'm very helpful this time. Hang in there!
Oh sure, Crissy. Kids sometimes drift. In those cases, I'll silently catch the kid's eye and point to my eye and then my book, a pantomime to remind them to get back to reading. It usually works. In some cases, I need to take away a few of their 10 points for weekly reading. I give them a heads-up on this either by holding up 10 fingers and then nine fingers, eight fingers, etc., or just go over to them and whisper that I see them doing Spanish homework instead of SSR and that they're losing points. When they know that I'm noticing them, they get back on track. I also sit amongst my students rather than in the back of the room at my teacher desk, a move that helps keep the class on track, too. Hope this helps!
Good question, Diane. For those grade-levels on a nine-week system, I would use the 250-page scale, so maybe set a 350-page scale for your 12-week system? You can always adjust it for the second trimester if your first scale seems too easy or tough. :)
Absolutely, Diane, that's a routine accommodation. I work with the student and his/her case manager to determine a reasonable page-count goal and grade scale. Easy.
You'll want to check with your school and city librarians. Many places pay for subscriptions (locally, we're given Overdrive and Hoopla) that'll allow your students to legally download e-books or listen to audiobooks. Good luck!
I've run SSR both ways, and I MUCH prefer reading one day a week as well! I got through two books myself in a month that way! The only downside was that for my 7th hour, their class was shortened for assemblies, and we have several assembly first semester. I saw a reduction in page numbers that way (we collect total pages read each triad). We switched as a department to 10 minutes per day, and I hate it. I never have time to read myself, some kids just can't settle down that quickly, and I don't think it promotes good reading habits. Also, I'd rather do other bell-ringers each day to get in some grammar and vocab. I am going to switch back to one day a week. Do you think this would work as well on Wednesdays? Doing this on Fridays is a nice way to kick off the weekend, but I want to avoid those shortened schedules.
Lannette Story I think any extended block of time you can find is worthwhile. Wednesday, Friday, whatever day works for you and your kiddos sounds good to me.
Hey Laura! I have a quick question. I usually teach middle level English, but this year is my first year teaching high school. Specifically, I have Juniors. Do you recommend 250 words per quarter or 500 to receive an A? I am trying to see what is a reasonable number of pages to ask an upperclassman to read! Thanks!
Hey, Chesney! It's a great question and my answer depends on which group of kids are assigned to your junior class roster. For high-octane, college-prep kids or honors classes, I'd use the 500-page scale. For a grade-level class where the majority of kids are working toward graduation, military, job market, or community college, I'd choose the 250-page scale. Hope this helps! :)
How many pages is reasonable for a 5 week period of time in a class with students with reading challenges (ex. reads at 3rd grade level in the 9th grade).
ERIN WINTER Hi Erin, So glad you checked in with me. For my kids with IEPs, I often need to personalize the page count scale depending on each particular student’s reading ability. I’ll work with the student and his/her case manager to determine a reasonable goal. I’m guessing you’ll need to do the same, personalizing the accommodations as best fits each kid. :) Laura
As much as I love graphic novels and know their value, they don't really work for the page-count portion of our SSR assignment. After kids earn their page counts for the full year, they then are encouraged to enjoy any graphic novels they want to bring in for the 10 weekly reading points. Books with pictures and those written as verse have to count less in this system.
Glad this might work for you! Yes, I use SSR all year long, regardless of whether we're working through a novel unit, using shorter pieces, or writing. I also don't allow students to use our core novel that we're studying as a class as their SSR book. SSR is an entirely different assignment and the book should be something they're personally drawn to read. Core novels = Meat and potatoes, SSR novels = Dessert :)
Yes, B Peltier, it almost feels luxurious to just sit a bit and...read. As for a kid who repeatedly visits me to abandon a book, after the second one I'll talk to the kid about needing to find a book that's a better match for his/her interests. I'd never allow a kid to hit the 250-page goal by abandoning 10 books - that's just silly and totally against the spirit of what I'm trying to build with SSR. Instead, I'll talk with the kid and make suggestions. Since I'm not particularly well-read with YA, I also love to sit that kid down at a computer and use the book recommendation generator at PickMyYA.com, a site run by English teacher James Tilton and his students. I talk more about why I love that site here: laurarandazzo.com/2017/08/03/what-should-i-read-next/ Hope this is useful! :)
Laura Randazzo yes thank you so much! I have 2 periods blocked together with low readers and half the class changed books after just 1 week. That section reads everyday as it's part of the curriculum we have to follow. I took a survey to see what movies, shows, and UA-cam videos they watch. I've tried to base choices off of that but I love the website idea. We're getting 24 new YA books per classroom with this new program, and our library is awesome with ordering new books and doing a book tasting with cookies too for each ELA teacher using this program. So thankful for great support and all the resources you create and point me to. Thank you so much!! I cannot say that enough to you. ♥️
Sounds like a good plan to help those strugglers. I'd also sell the idea of the recommendation generator to them as something that's built BY teens FOR teens. That's one of my favorite parts of the site.
From my own experience helping my youngest daughter to learn to love reading and test as gifted in reading, I would say, don't restrict their choices of reading materials, even if its not "age appropriate" . Yup, let them read even if its a steamy sex scene from a vampire novel. My daughter was in 5th grade I think when she started reading the Twilight series. I know that will never fly being put forth by a teacher in a public school, too many religious folks putting their two cents in, and the system not wanting to be responsible etc. regardless, it worked for mine and she's just fine living a proper moral life at 22 going to college.
Hi, EngVlog, thanks for letting me know. Hmm...very strange. On this end of things, my voice on this video is as loud (and annoying - oh!) as ever. Might there be a volume setting on your computer or phone to adjust?
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Yes, yes YES. I used it all year this year pretty much as you originally described, and it was MAGICAL. When my students saw they had read over 1,000 pages in a one school year, they were FLOORED - what a huge win for them!! And it's SO easy to tell if a student is lying. It's also helped me realize who needs more reading help, who has memory issues, etc. Absolutely doing again, likely every year of my career.
YEA!!! So glad you found the same SSR love in your classroom. I could not run the show without it. Good for students + Good for teachers!
I'm a subsitute teacher I learned from two teachers watching them, one gave them choose a book any book 15 minutes on a sheet write ssr title of book author brief summary of what you read and page numbers that you read that's it. I'm a long term sun I love using this 15 minutes won and done. One teacher even used comic books sometimes it worked she collected at end of day this was an alternative school. Sometimes I try you said if they read wink 😅 I do it beginning of class it sets the tone mood of the class.
The way you scan through the book and stop on random pages - I call those accountability checks. I have a video I'll be sharing where I demonstrate how I do it (with a live student model). Since I always allow my students to choose their own books, I had to find a way to hold them accountable. If they can pass the accountability check, then we move on to the fun part: Discussing the book. I never discuss books with students who have not demonstrated comprehension mastery. This year, my 9th graders are required to read 70% non-fiction, so I do encourage the use of sticky notes to help them during the accountability check. I realized the state exam is mostly non-fiction, so is college, and the SAT. We will discuss fiction together in class via a parade of short stories. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips here, Lisa! Definitely forward that video link to me when it's posted. I'd love to see you in action. :)
I just sent you an email with a link to my book talk video at the email you have in your "about" section.
Lisa Edwards Loved it, Lisa! Time to get your UA-cam channel launched, my friend. :)
@@highrawvegan Hi! I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the video link, too! I teach AP Lang, so I want to launch a non-fiction-focused SSR program this semester. Thanks! :D
@@hollycampbell4369 I've since uploaded it as a video - let me know if you're interested in the link.
I feel your comment on never getting to read. I'm a writer that spends too much time reading and writing for work, that unless I sneak a book in bath, I just can't carve out time to read. I also love 'book talks!' I am a homeschooler of several kids and I know your advice is for teachers, but I just love this idea. How wonderful that you've found a way to get it into the classroom. When we read a great book, we just want to talk about it. Since I have three kids, and not 30X6, when he recently asked me to read a book so we could really talk about it, my HS, I melted. Finally! Love SSR. Didn't know it had a name, but such experiences can be found in the pages of a book!
I've done book talks for a few years now and have given the option of either make a video, present to the class, or one on one. I like that you take the one on one time to connect with your student. The strategies you use while you listen to them are also great ideas. Here in BC we are working towards grade-less assessment (proficiency scale) so I would probably adapt that. But other than that, lots of great ideas!
As a former teacher of 9th grade English, I wished I'd had some of these How-to videos 30 years ago. Heck, 10 years ago would've been great, too. There truly is such a thing as "teacher burnout." I had kids read for 20 minutes and then fill out a reading log form in U.S. History as a different way of individually talking history with them. A substantial number of my students read below grade level due to many factors (ELL students, disdain for reading, etc.), but I still loved the job. For a while, had book talks with them after school, but it was a burnout, and at the end of the year I was exhausted. In my years of experience, I've known two teachers who've had heart attacks at school (both were English teachers btw). Another English teacher colleague died over the Memorial Day weekend. Her last words to me that Friday were:"I'm effing exhausted." Teaching is one of the most noble professions there is, but it isn't a kickback job. The good teachers just make it look easy...
Oh, Albaby650, I'm so sorry to hear about your colleague. That's horrific. Just over a year ago, my friend Eric, a beloved science teacher, died the day after he retired. Seriously, he was retired for ONE DAY. The physical and mental strain of doing this job well can be overwhelming. I've felt that burn-out, too, and a major motivator for me is to show folks short-cuts, tips, ideas to save them time and sanity. Doing this online work puts more wind in my sails because I feel like I'm doing something to fight the good fight. Glad you're here with me!
Mad respect for the practical advice and information you share. This is truly giving back to the profession. I can imagine that you're a very dynamic teacher in the classroom. Makes the heart swell a bit when I see good teachers in action. Yet last week when I subbed at the old school, I saw teachers already fighting end of the week fatigue. Hard to be dynamic when you're pooped.
Also, sorry about your friend. SMH. For our Shelley, who had more sass than anyone on the faculty, and who had been instrumental in our receiving a 6-year clearance from WASC, it seemed that the administrators didn't recognize, other than in a perfunctory way. Fortunately, I did get out in time. For me, the tipping point was when the district mandated that for the following year, grades would be posted six times a semester instead of three. I told them that I couldn't grade essays like a machine, and the result would be that I'd give kids more scantron tests, and fewer higher-level thinking questions. Sometimes, I give kids back their essays to rewrite for various legit reasons, and that makes posting the grades even more stressful. Didn't feel like they wanted to listen to the old grizzled vet and after consulting with the wife, chose to retire at the end of the year. Luckily, I could afford retirement (no children). Don't know if it related to teaching, but found I had three major blockages in my Widowmaker artery 18 months later. Modern medicine cleared out the old pipe and I feel great, but when I see my old colleagues struggling to keep up, I do worry. Don't need to respond. Teachers always have tasks to complete....
So glad you were able to listen to your gut, your heart, your wife and do the best thing for you. Good lessons here for me, too. ;)
Laura I love your tips and ideas! I cannot wait to use them in my ESL classes! Greetings from México City!
Fantastic, Cintia! So glad this will work for you. Big hugs from Idaho! :)
Thank you so much for this video!! I’m definitely going to try your book talk form. I think that will hold them accountable without making it feel like AR. I can’t wait to get started!! Thank you!
So glad this'll be a match for your classroom, Hello Middle School! :)
Brilliant tips... Thanks
I love this!
How do you handle students who are significantly behind in reading skills? I teach 10th, and I have a few students that read at elementary grade level. Do you adjust page requirements like we do for IEPs that say reduced paragraphs to 3 max for writing? I would assume we let them read what they like at their level, but they’d likely need to read several books to meet the page requirements. Thanks!
Yes, Bridgett, you've got it. Those students are handled on a case-by-case basis and the reading goal is set by the IEP team. I also take into consideration the density of the book the student chooses.
This is such a great concept. I would have loved to have SSR in school, but we don’t have something like that in the part of Germany where I live.
It's always fascinating to me to see how other communities build their school day/curriculum. Well, the good news is we don't need the school's permission to read for an hour a week on our own time. Be a rebel - read books! :)
Hey Laura!
I was wondering how I could implement this system for a A/B block schedule. Thanks so much!
Hi quickchange,
I've used this on both a 5-day-a-week traditional schedule and the A/B block. On the block, we just assign SSR for the last day I see the class each week, always a Thursday or Friday, and then only for about 40 minutes of our 90 minute class. Works like a charm! :)
@@laurarandazzo1158 thank you so much for your response.
Do you suggest I ease them into the 40 mins or just throw em in the deep end?
How do you handle kids who are absent on the reading day? Do they lose the 10 points? Can they make it up somehow?
Easy! They can make up their reading session at home. Just bring me a note signed by their guardian stating that the student read for 45 minutes at home and I replace the points.
Hi Laura! Love your stuff! Quick question-- where do you stand on graphic novels for SSR? I'm torn in that I know graphic novels help reluctant readers and is a cool medium; however, there are significantly less words per page and many students fly through them. How have you handled this?
A couple of moves you can make. You could just eliminate them as an option, but I've found lots of books have illustrations of varying expansiveness. Another more flexible approach is to allow one graphic novel per semester, but the student has to work with you ahead of time to determine a fair page-count. Essentially, how many full pages of text do you two agree are included in that graphic novel that would be the page-number equivalent for a traditional novel? Agree on that number and your student can read it but then they'll will also need to read other books to hit the page/grade goal.
Hi, do you think this would be beneficial for EFL students?
I teach high school in Puerto Rico. My curriculum is ELA, using the common core standards, but the majority of my students are beginners in the English language, even though the have been taking English classes since kindergarten.
Great question, Kimberly! Yes, I do think with modification of the page counts, this process would still be a good fit for EFL students. The trick will be to help students find the right book at the right reading level to keep them interested and focused. Hope you find your path! :)
I love this!! I am using it in my class but I have come across something that I need some advice on. If you have assigned 250 pages for the class and a kid reads a book with 500 pages, he then has 250 pages of carry over. How do you handle that? Does he automatically receive an A for the next quarter or does he still need to read something else the next quarter?
Molly Raley Looks like you've been blessed with a bookworm, Molly. I get one or two of these kids each year, readers who just devour books. Yes, in my classes, this student would be allowed to Book Talk with me until he's logged the 1,000 page requirement for the year to receive the full 100 points on each of the quarter assignments. At that point, he still needs to bring an SSR book to read and enjoy in class each Friday for the rest of the year to earn the weekly 10 points but he no longer needs to Book Talk with me when he finishes a book. That bank account of book pages will just sit in my file until it's time to enter quarter grades. Some years, my bookworms finish their full year's requirements by November or so. Maybe you have a student who will break that record!
Laura Randazzo That’s great!! Thank you so much!
Do you ever let them read a digital copy as long as they could bring you a copy on their tablet or Kindle?
I have from time to time depending on a student's individual needs/situation, but it's hard to Book Talk with a digital version because of the page-flipping thing. Also, most tablets/Kindles are internet-enabled and that's a temptation I want to remove from our SSR time. Generally, I prefer actual books for this assignment.
Hi Laura,
I’m thinking to have my 6th graders do the 250 page SSR. I’m also planning a novel study of about 350 pages for the quarter. Is that too much? Should I give them time in class for the novel study reading too?
I also use your bell-work resources for them, which work well enough for 6th grade 😅. I’m thinking if they do the novel reading and bell-work, we might not have time for anything else.
(First-year 😅)
Welcome to this side of the teacher's desk, mindfulnas! I haven't used this specific SSR page guideline with 6th graders, but I'm thinking the same scale will work. Younger reader books tend to have larger font and wider spacing, so most of your kids should still be able to read one or two books per quarter to reach that 250-page goal for an "A"/excellent mark. Kids with IEPs may require personalized adjustments of the page goals, so keep that in mind. As for the full-class novel study, that's always a separate assignment in my classes. I suppose you could allow in-class time for kids to read the next chunk of the required class novel, but I wouldn't use that as part of the SSR assignment. I equate class novel studies to meat-and-potatoes nourishment, while SSR is more like dessert. Both are valuable in a literary diet, but they give us different things. Hope this is helpful. :)
@@laurarandazzo1158 Thanks you so much! I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Love this idea! I am going to give this a try because up until now my 7th graders have used book logs and short summaries to get credit for their SSR but this is a game-changer for me! One question: Do you explain your grading policy for the book talks in your pdf forms? TFS
Terrific, LearningWithLa! I'm guessing your 7th graders will love having that one-on-one time with you. And yes, indeed, the pdfs will have everything you need to explain the process to your students: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SSR-Tired-of-Book-Reports-Try-this-FREE-idea-instead-Easy-grading-for-you-494444 Enjoy! :)
Any tips on attempting SSR while in distance learning? I came up with an idea but not sure if it's going to work; would love to hear your input on attempting SSR in distance learning.
I hear you, John. A lot of the procedures we used pre-COVID are going to look much different this year. I'm still teaching in-person this fall, but if I were facing an online-only launch I'd probably hit the "pause" button on SSR until we return to the physical classroom. You might make it an optional assignment or suggestion, but I'm not sure how I'd be able to schedule 175 Book Talks each quarter remotely on top of everything else being put on our plates. This one feels best as an in-person experience. Not sure I'm very helpful this time. Hang in there!
Do you ever have kids that are not reading during SSR? Do they still get the 10 weekly points? Or how do you handle that?
Oh sure, Crissy. Kids sometimes drift. In those cases, I'll silently catch the kid's eye and point to my eye and then my book, a pantomime to remind them to get back to reading. It usually works. In some cases, I need to take away a few of their 10 points for weekly reading. I give them a heads-up on this either by holding up 10 fingers and then nine fingers, eight fingers, etc., or just go over to them and whisper that I see them doing Spanish homework instead of SSR and that they're losing points. When they know that I'm noticing them, they get back on track. I also sit amongst my students rather than in the back of the room at my teacher desk, a move that helps keep the class on track, too. Hope this helps!
Thank you!!
Hi! Loved your video! I teach 7th and 8th-grade students and am wondering how many pages you'd recommend for their SSR. We work on a trimester basis.
Good question, Diane. For those grade-levels on a nine-week system, I would use the 250-page scale, so maybe set a 350-page scale for your 12-week system? You can always adjust it for the second trimester if your first scale seems too easy or tough. :)
Do you ever modify the requirement for students with IEPs?
Absolutely, Diane, that's a routine accommodation. I work with the student and his/her case manager to determine a reasonable page-count goal and grade scale. Easy.
Awesome advice, Laura!
Have you ever contemplated the idea of acceping an admin position?
Ack! Oh my goodness, Kenneth, that's some kind of crazy-talk. Nope. No admin. degree and no interest in walking that path. I'm good, thanks. :)
Any suggestions for an online book bank? Students usually choose their SSR books from our library... but we're full virtual 😔
You'll want to check with your school and city librarians. Many places pay for subscriptions (locally, we're given Overdrive and Hoopla) that'll allow your students to legally download e-books or listen to audiobooks. Good luck!
I've run SSR both ways, and I MUCH prefer reading one day a week as well! I got through two books myself in a month that way! The only downside was that for my 7th hour, their class was shortened for assemblies, and we have several assembly first semester. I saw a reduction in page numbers that way (we collect total pages read each triad). We switched as a department to 10 minutes per day, and I hate it. I never have time to read myself, some kids just can't settle down that quickly, and I don't think it promotes good reading habits. Also, I'd rather do other bell-ringers each day to get in some grammar and vocab. I am going to switch back to one day a week. Do you think this would work as well on Wednesdays? Doing this on Fridays is a nice way to kick off the weekend, but I want to avoid those shortened schedules.
Lannette Story I think any extended block of time you can find is worthwhile. Wednesday, Friday, whatever day works for you and your kiddos sounds good to me.
Hey Laura! I have a quick question. I usually teach middle level English, but this year is my first year teaching high school. Specifically, I have Juniors. Do you recommend 250 words per quarter or 500 to receive an A? I am trying to see what is a reasonable number of pages to ask an upperclassman to read! Thanks!
Hey, Chesney! It's a great question and my answer depends on which group of kids are assigned to your junior class roster. For high-octane, college-prep kids or honors classes, I'd use the 500-page scale. For a grade-level class where the majority of kids are working toward graduation, military, job market, or community college, I'd choose the 250-page scale. Hope this helps! :)
How many pages is reasonable for a 5 week period of time in a class with students with reading challenges (ex. reads at 3rd grade level in the 9th grade).
ERIN WINTER
Hi Erin,
So glad you checked in with me. For my kids with IEPs, I often need to personalize the page count scale depending on each particular student’s reading ability. I’ll work with the student and his/her case manager to determine a reasonable goal. I’m guessing you’ll need to do the same, personalizing the accommodations as best fits each kid.
:) Laura
How do you handle graphic novel word count?
As much as I love graphic novels and know their value, they don't really work for the page-count portion of our SSR assignment. After kids earn their page counts for the full year, they then are encouraged to enjoy any graphic novels they want to bring in for the 10 weekly reading points. Books with pictures and those written as verse have to count less in this system.
Love this idea. Do you keep the SSR going while students are reading regular class novels?
Glad this might work for you! Yes, I use SSR all year long, regardless of whether we're working through a novel unit, using shorter pieces, or writing. I also don't allow students to use our core novel that we're studying as a class as their SSR book. SSR is an entirely different assignment and the book should be something they're personally drawn to read. Core novels = Meat and potatoes, SSR novels = Dessert :)
@@laurarandazzo1158 Thank you Laura! As a new teacher, your year long curriculum has been a life saver! I appreciate the guidance! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I had students thanking me for giving them a whole period to read. Thank you! How would you handle kids abandoning books often at the 25 page mark?
Yes, B Peltier, it almost feels luxurious to just sit a bit and...read. As for a kid who repeatedly visits me to abandon a book, after the second one I'll talk to the kid about needing to find a book that's a better match for his/her interests. I'd never allow a kid to hit the 250-page goal by abandoning 10 books - that's just silly and totally against the spirit of what I'm trying to build with SSR. Instead, I'll talk with the kid and make suggestions. Since I'm not particularly well-read with YA, I also love to sit that kid down at a computer and use the book recommendation generator at PickMyYA.com, a site run by English teacher James Tilton and his students. I talk more about why I love that site here: laurarandazzo.com/2017/08/03/what-should-i-read-next/
Hope this is useful! :)
Laura Randazzo yes thank you so much! I have 2 periods blocked together with low readers and half the class changed books after just 1 week. That section reads everyday as it's part of the curriculum we have to follow. I took a survey to see what movies, shows, and UA-cam videos they watch. I've tried to base choices off of that but I love the website idea. We're getting 24 new YA books per classroom with this new program, and our library is awesome with ordering new books and doing a book tasting with cookies too for each ELA teacher using this program. So thankful for great support and all the resources you create and point me to.
Thank you so much!! I cannot say that enough to you. ♥️
Sounds like a good plan to help those strugglers. I'd also sell the idea of the recommendation generator to them as something that's built BY teens FOR teens. That's one of my favorite parts of the site.
Mary Allen I do have graphic novels as well. 😊
From my own experience helping my youngest daughter to learn to love reading and test as gifted in reading, I would say, don't restrict their choices of reading materials, even if its not "age appropriate" . Yup, let them read even if its a steamy sex scene from a vampire novel. My daughter was in 5th grade I think when she started reading the Twilight series. I know that will never fly being put forth by a teacher in a public school, too many religious folks putting their two cents in, and the system not wanting to be responsible etc. regardless, it worked for mine and she's just fine living a proper moral life at 22 going to college.
Hello, Laura Randazzo Thank you for your awesome less. nice lesson as always. but can you please fix you sound quality. it is very low sound.
Hi, EngVlog, thanks for letting me know. Hmm...very strange. On this end of things, my voice on this video is as loud (and annoying - oh!) as ever. Might there be a volume setting on your computer or phone to adjust?
If i use headphone it's okay but with our head phone it's seems to be lower. It's not a big deal. tanks again.
Oh, technology...my friend and nemesis. Glad the headphones are working, at least. Have a great weekend!
No problem with the sound on my Iphone Laura. Thanks for all the tips/ tricks about SSR.
Erin Jones Thanks, Erin! Appreciate hearing this. ;)
Hahaha! You have a little "chutspah"
Oh yeah, Adele, I knew there was a reason you and I get along so well. ;)