Independent Reading

As English teachers at W.C.R., we recognize that reading is the gateway skill for all student success in the 21st century. Educational research shows young readers grow the most when they read a lot in a wide range of books and other reading materials for practice. We desire all of our students to develop this reading habit to reach their fullest potential for college, career, and citizenship. Therefore, we require all of our students to read at least 2 hours each week from books that are appropriate for the students' reading level and maturity.

Library & Silent Reading in Class

Every English class will provide 10-15 minutes (per class period) of quiet reading time for independent reading in the classroom for a total of 30 minutes in-class, each week. This also includes visits to our wonderfully stocked school library every other week to provide access to a great assortment of books at every level and interest.

Book Choice

Students shall be given a great deal of choice in book selection. These books may come from a library, classroom, or home. Books should be in a student's reading range to encourage growth in reading depth and stamina. The reading levels of students will be assessed regularly to monitor growth in reading comprehension and vocabulary.

Students may read graphic novels or comic books once per week instead of a traditional chapter book. The rest of the reading time should be dedicated to reading appropriately challenging chapter books.

Bookpolis

Students will use the website Bookopolis to track their reading time, both in-class and from home. The reading week goes from Saturday to the following Friday. Each week, students will be expected to read a full two hours combined from class reading time and homework reading time. Information regarding how to use Bookopolis can be found on the Google Classroom stream.

Grading

The independent reading program will make up 10 percent of the total English grade. This will include separate grades for the Reading Log, participation in library and silent reading time, and may include special projects or writing assignments to demonstrate understanding and critical thinking about the books read.