Choosing Books for Supported Independent Reading (SIR)

An essential feature of Supported Independent Reading (SIR) is that students select books that are sufficiently challenging. SIR is based on the premise that students will benefit more from the experience of reading independently if they are challenged by complex content, ideas, and language. This is especially true if the book is of personal interest to the student and he/she is highly motivated to read it. However, if books are too challenging, students may become frustrated and unmotivated and fluency and comprehension will not improve. Evaluating the appropriateness of student book selections is challenging, yet one of the most critical aspects of ensuring the success and effectiveness of SIR.

There are two ways to think about the level of challenge of a book selection for an individual student:

Word-Reading Level

Word-Reading level refers to whether or not students can read the words in a book. Students should be able to read automatically most of the words on any page. Additionally, students should read with a high degree of fluency (i.e., smoothly and quickly). However, in an appropriately challenging book, students should encounter some words that are unfamiliar and new to them, especially low frequency words or words with complex meanings that they may not have been exposed to in everyday conversation. Students learn to read new words by encountering them in supportive contexts in which they are fluent with surrounding words.

Complexity of Content

Complexity of content refers to whether or not students can understand, appreciate, and think critically about the content matter of a book. Students should be able to answer basic questions about character, setting, and plot. Additionally, students should be able to interact with text at a more complex level by making inferences, analyzing and synthesizing information, and relating content to their own experiences. However, the content, ideas, and language in a book should challenge students. In other words, the content should challenge the boundaries of what students can understand easily. Books should encourage students to use and develop critical thinking skills, expand their knowledge and understanding, and think about ideas differently.

Evaluating the Appropriateness of Books for SIR

Deciding whether a book is an appropriate choice for SIR will be different for different students. For example, a talented reader may choose a book with a word-reading level at or above grade level. However, the student may not be sufficiently challenged by the book's content. Given the student's high degree of word-reading fluency, he/she should be encouraged to choose a more advanced book with a greater complexity of content.

On the other hand, a struggling reader may choose a book in which the content and ideas are sufficiently challenging. However, because of less developed reading skills, the student may have to expend so much energy just to read the words, that he/she is unable to understand or even access the content. This student should be supported in choosing a book with equally challenging content, but with a word-reading level that he/she can read fluently and is more matched with the his/her reading ability.

Because students in your class will all have very different reading skills, there are no exact rules for deciding whether a book is an appropriate choice for SIR. However, the following general procedures are helpful guidelines:

Listen to the student read a page of the book. The student's reading should be smooth and fluent, and most words should be read correctly and automatically. The student's reading should not sound halting or labored.
It is hoped that some words will be unfamiliar to the student, especially if they are low frequency use words or words with complex meanings that students may not have been exposed to in daily conversation. If the student can easily read and understand every word, it is likely that the book is not providing enough challenge.

After listening to the student read, you should ask a few basic comprehension questions about what the student just read. The student should be able to answer these questions easily.

Then you should ask a few more difficult, probing questions that require students to make inferences or think about broader themes. These will help you assess whether the student understands the book at a more complex level. The student should be able to offer reasonable responses to these questions. On the other hand, if the student is able to answer these questions too easily, the book content may not be appropriately challenging.

Most importantly, use your knowledge of your student, his/her reading ability, and level of understanding, and ask yourself: Does the book seem like a good fit? Does the book seem too difficult or too easy? Should the student be challenging himself/herself more?

Our research has demonstrated that high levels of student interest can provide the stimulus for students to tackle more challenging reading material. In fact, some student's reading fluency and comprehension have dramatically increased because of their high levels of interest. The task is to find the right match .

Individual Conferencing Strategies for Supported Independent Reading (SIR)

During the regularly scheduled Supported Independent Reading time, the teacher should meet with students individually. The purpose of these individual conferences is to:

Evaluate the appropriateness of the student's book selection for comprehension and sophistication of ideas and content.
Provide support in helping students develop reading fluency and comprehension through reading strategy acquisition and higher level questioning of independent reading.
Make connections with students' interests.
Suggest possibilities for further reading and study.