Silent reading for 2nd grader?

[Heidi]

What do you give your 2nd grader to read silently for 30 min. every day? (this is according to the suggestion in TWTM)

 

Do you let them read whatever they want? Do you have a specific set of books they can choose from? Do you follow a program you like? I assume these would be books at or below their reading level, correct?

 

Do you also require them to read books outloud, that are more difficult, to stretch them? How do you work both into your day or do you alternate silent reading one day and out-loud, difficult reading the next?

[Bang!Zoom!]

I'd be interested in opinions on the oral reading process.

 

I'm under the impression it is at or below level for fluency and diction reasons. :)

[island-mama]

I have been letting my second grader read whatever she wants all summer. She reads for much longer than 30 minutes, sometimes several hours. When school starts she will be required to read books related to our studies for that recommended 30 minutes. For example, she will read The Minstrel in the Tower since we will be studying the Middle Ages. I'll have her narrate back to me what she read and learned. She will undoubtedly want to read her own books as well, and I don't ask her to narrate or keep track of those. I'm not sure about the reading level question. I find that she likes to read books a bit above her reading level anyway, but I will probably try to be careful when I pick the ones she will read for school. I want to be sure she is grasping it. Her narrations will show whether she is understanding or not. That is my plan, I would like to hear what others are doing as well.

[Heidi]

I'd be interested in opinions on the oral reading process.

 

I'm under the impression it is at or below level for fluency and diction reasons. :)

 

Yes, this too. The oral reading for diction is a third form of reading. I was thinking of using the McGuffey readers for that.

 

Do we fit it all into one day?

[Heidi]

I have been letting my second grader read whatever she wants all summer. She reads for much longer than 30 minutes, sometimes several hours. When school starts she will be required to read books related to our studies for that recommended 30 minutes. For example, she will read The Minstrel in the Tower since we will be studying the Middle Ages. I'll have her narrate back to me what she read and learned. She will undoubtedly want to read her own books as well, and I don't ask her to narrate or keep track of those. I'm not sure about the reading level question. I find that she likes to read books a bit above her reading level anyway, but I will probably try to be careful when I pick the ones she will read for school. I want to be sure she is grasping it. Her narrations will show whether she is understanding or not. That is my plan, I would like to hear what others are doing as well.

 

 

My daughter reads all day too, but she doesn't read chapter books/novels. She would rather read non-fiction (like me). She browses the Apologia science books, Greek and Norse myths (which of course isn't non-fiction), and any wildlife resources we have.

But I had to "require" her to read books like Squanto or The Courage of Sarah Noble, which are well below her reading level.

[Farrar]

I let them read whatever they want most of the time. But I also suggest things, and pick things out for them to try. I try to guide them to things they'll enjoy. I personally think there's a huge value in letting them read things they enjoy and learn to love reading that way. In other words, I have zero problem with things most people here call a derogatory name for books that I'm so sick of hearing, I'm not even going to use it.

 

I think "second grade reading" can mean a LOT of different sorts of levels of things. One of my 2nd graders is reading things like Fly Guy, Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, Dodsworth, and lots of cookbooks (he really loves them). I just put some Nate the Great in his box because I think he's ready to read something just a little longer. The other read all those in the last couple of years so he's on to reading Secrets of Droon, Squish, Amulet, The Fog Mound, some Dick King-Smith, Stink, Judy Moody, ... He especially loves good graphic novels (in other words, we're all dying for the next Amulet book to come out). I just put some American Girl books in his box and I think he's going to try those. Neither of my boys are huge readers... yet. But I keep hoping.

 

I have them read aloud things that will push them a little and help them practice their reading. Both my boys are still finishing phonics work so it's good for them.

[Rivka]

I keep a basket full of books I think my daughter would like, rotating the selection from time to time. I used to require that she read something aloud to me from the basket but leave the choice of what to read up to her. Now that she's a very enthusiastic reader, I just keep the basket full as a service to her.

 

She's free to read whatever she wants, and she often gravitates to series like A to Z Mysteries, or Calvin and Hobbes collections. But if I put a little more variety in the book basket, she'll often choose those books too.

[ClassicMom]

The Sonlight reading list for the grade-level your child is reading at is helpful for finding reading books at the library.

[MerryAtHope]

I used to put together a basket with some easier choices and some harder ones, and I let my kids choose what they wanted to read from that. We did buddy reading with the harder books (they would read a page or paragraph, then I read a couple of pages, and so on), while they used easier books for building fluency and confidence. For silent reading, I let them pick from bookshelves of things they had already read, or books in their room. My son used to love Calvin & Hobbes in the 7-9 or so age range!

 

Merry :-)

[Diana B]

I just got done reading 'The Book Whisperer' and it cements what I think even more. I think it's very important to let the child choose what to read. It helps them become READERS. You can assign genres and give them choices if you have a specific topic to be covered, but the more choices you give them, the better.

 

If your daughter just likes to read non-fiction, let her most of the time. My DS is 8, going into the 3rd grade. I'm going to have him choose books in certain genres this year, but only a few. Just to get him to read a variety. (He'll also have a couple of books that I know he'll like as assigned reading that we can do some literary analysis on.)

 

But if you are trying to raise a reader - let her choose.

 

And I highly recommend 'The Book Whisperer' by Donalyn Miller. It's written for PS teachers, but there are some really good points and it's very encouraging.

[Food4Thought]

I let DS choose what he wants to read. I don't make him read anything, but try to keep lots of interesting books around. I keep two bins full of books - one of library/borrowed books and one of books we own. I try to keep them swapped out for fresh reading material often. But DS gets to choose what he wants to read. Lately, it's all Magic Tree House books and the Cul-de-Sac Kids series. Yesterday, he picked up a Parenting magazine and read it all the way through. :confused:

 

I choose my books from several different sources: The Read-Aloud Handbook, Books Kids Will Sit Still For, Sonlight recommendations, and anything that looks interesting from Rainbow Resource. I keep library books stocked based on where we are in science and history, so there are generally various topics to choose from.

[zenjenn]

I believe in allowing my kids to read whatever they want during their free time. I'm all about fostering a love of reading. My kids frequently check out 5-10 chapter books each from the library a week.

 

That said, there is really not much free time during our school day for silent reading. They might get 10-15 minutes here and there if I get distracted or if I am helping one child and the other finishes their prior work. Our scheduled stuff really ends at 2 pm, but I tell them it ends at 3 pm. If we are done by 2 (sometimes we're not) then I allow them to read freely until 3, whatever they want. Most of their silent reading is done before bed or in the afternoon by choice.

 

For literature (3rd grader) I am still reading aloud most of the time. I really feel it is more effective since she is an auditory learner and I can really help her think about literature critically while having her listen to ME read our literature choices. I do think next year, if not later on this year, I will start transitioning her to reading portions of our selections silently and then discussing afterwards.

[twoforjoy]

DS usually has two silent reading times a day, one after lunch (when I'm resting with the babies) and one before bed. For one of the times, he can read whatever he wants: novels, comic books, picture books, video game strategy guides, joke books. For the other time, he has to pick a novel, and he's encouraged to keep reading until the end (although not forced if he really, truly doesn't like the book after giving it a chance). I don't assign books to him, although I do suggest. If there's a book I think he just must read, we'll do it as a read-aloud.

 

I don't make DS read aloud to me. He hates reading aloud if forced. He'll sometimes spontaneously read something aloud to me if he thinks it's interesting or funny, and he'll read books to his sister. At this point I feel confident enough about his reading skills that I don't see any reason to make him read aloud.

[mrshomework]

I use the Sonlight reading list for approriate grade and we check those out at the library. I also let her choose a few at the library that she wants. Some are simple readers but since the Sonlight list is more advanced I don't see any harm in it. She has 30 min of the required reading and then in the afternoon while I cook dinner she has time to read on her own whatever she likes. I just want her to read and enjoy what she is reading. I do ask her what was going on in the chapter today like for instance she's reading Ralph S. Mouse right now and I ask what is he up to this chapter so she summarizes what happened. I know sometimes she does not get the meaning and we go over it. I usually glance over book so I know.

[Alice]

I let him choose what he wants. For the summer reading program this year I did ask him to try a few books in categories he doesn't usually read. He's really into the fantasy genre and reads great books (The Hobbit, Eragon, Harry Potter) but I wanted him to try a few out of that genre. I asked him to read one "real" fiction (no dragons or elves or magic), one biography, one non-fiction and one historical fiction. But within those categories I let him chose what he wanted. I showed him some suggestions and where to find the different kinds of books in the library but then let him pick. He also spent a lot of time reading Pokemon graphic novels and Encyclopedia Brown books.

 

During the school year I have him do free reading time and he can read whatever he wants then. Last year in second grade I felt like he was just on the verge of really being a reader, someone who read for pleasure and by his own choice. So I let him read whatever he wanted and whenever he wanted. Most of the time he would pick up a book on his own and read for at least 30 minutes a day so I purposefully didn't also make it a requirement. Sometimes I'd encourage him to read, like if we were going somewhere I'd remind him to bring a book to read while we waited in line or to read in the car. We loosely try to do a quiet time after lunch and he often reads then or before bed. A big deal last year was that he was allowed to stay up late with a headlight and read on his own after his brother went to sleep. He always wanted to do that! Also, many times if he was really into a book I'd let him read all morning and put school off until later. I figured in the end several hours of reading was more important than whatever spelling or grammar lesson we had planned that day.

 

This year for third grade I'll still let him read whatever he wants but I do plan on also giving some assigned reading that will roughly go with our history studies.

 

ETA: For oral reading I often have him read to his siblings. Kills two birds with one stone.

Edited August 16, 2011 by Alice

[jenbrdsly]

I used to put together a basket with some easier choices and some harder ones, and I let my kids choose what they wanted to read from that. We did buddy reading with the harder books (they would read a page or paragraph, then I read a couple of pages, and so on), while they used easier books for building fluency and confidence. For silent reading, I let them pick from bookshelves of things they had already read, or books in their room. My son used to love Calvin & Hobbes in the 7-9 or so age range!

 

Merry :-)

 

:iagree:

 

This is what I would say too. The buddy reading you are describing could be a form what public schools would categorize as Guided Reading. The basket idea is perfect for Independent Reading. It's a pain to constantly restock baskets for each kid, but it really works.

 

When I taught K/1 I use to tell parents that when choosing books for your child you should remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Read Aloud books should be too hard for your child to read on their own. Independent Reading books should be too soft (meaning easy). Guided Reading books should be just right.

[Jayne J]

For what it is worth, this is the first year I have specifically assigned books to be read independantly (3rd grade). Ds has to read for 30 minutes a day after lunch. All last year (his "2nd grade" )I let him choose what he wanted from a book-basket type situation. Any reading other than the assigned 30 min/day could be anything at all. This year I am assigning one short book a week to be read during the 30 minutes, tied to our American history study. When he has finished it and done a narration, he can use the rest of the times/days to read from the basket. I read aloud a more difficult historical fiction book during lunch, and for oral reading I have him read from the Mcguffey's books a few times a week. Dictation is covered in WWE2.

[Just Robyn]

For all grades my kids read books of my choosing aloud to me.

 

Independent reading prior to third grade is books of their choice with almost no restrictions. (It has to be easy enough/hard enough, and no inappropriate content, but there really isn't much inappropriate content written at that reading level unless you oppose books about magic.)

 

Right now for independent reading my 2nd grade ds is reading the Bone comics. Before those he read a couple of Beast Quest books.

 

Starting in 3rd grade I give them a list of books to choose from for independent reading.

 

Yes, my children read easier books for independent reading and more difficult books aloud to me.

[Satori]

I fill our bookcases with books that would be great to read and my daughter chooses what she wants to read. Sometimes we're at the bookstore and she chooses something else, but it's usually from a good author. She seems to choose challenging books and when she comes across a word she doesn't know, she asks me. I have always encouraged her to ask me or refer a dictionary for unfamiliar vocabulary.

 

I don't make her read aloud to me. Usually she reads aloud the stories she writes herself (quite long chapter books now for a 6 year old), and she speaks with such great inflection and vocabulary so I know she knows what she's doing.

 

I also read aloud a lot, and we listen to audiobooks in the car. We're going from the list I linked to in my sig.

[Heidi]

Thank you so much for all of your replies. I really appreciate it!

 

I have decided that we'll continue our outloud co-reading of a difficult book, I'll let her read whatever she wants during "quiet-time," and we'll also practice oral reading from McGuffey's for pronounciation and public speaking purposes.

That's the plan for now. Thanks again!

[SnMomof7]

I make it easy for myself and just assign the SL readers for grades 2 - 4 - until they finish that series anyway. DD #1 is blitzing through the grade 3 readers, so I need to order the next ones up 4-5, then she'll be on her own! She also picks some books to read herself too :). These are just her 'assigned' reading, and she loves them - which is the point!

[HeidiKC]

I keep a basket full of books I think my daughter would like, rotating the selection from time to time. I used to require that she read something aloud to me from the basket but leave the choice of what to read up to her. Now that she's a very enthusiastic reader, I just keep the basket full as a service to her.

 

This is what I do, too. I don't homeschool my second-grader, but I require him to read 20-30 minutes daily. I know approximately what his (AR) reading level is, so I get a good selection of books from the library each week at his level (his AR level is in the range of 2.8-3.5 or so, and I looked up levels of various books and found most of the Step 2 - Step 3 books fit that range). I get mostly fiction (Frog and Toad, Mercy Watson, Dear Dragon) and a few non-fiction (found a good series on the White House last time). So he feels he's got a choice when it comes to the books, but I know he's reading decent books and books at his level. And he thinks it is fun each week to see what new books are in the basket!

 

ETA: It's silent reading he is doing with these book baskets. Now during the school year I will probably require him to read a "chapter" aloud to me most days (2-3 pages) just so I can see how things are going. But I don't require a lot nightly like I did in first grade.

[Beth in SW WA]

Dd 7/2nd reads 1 hour silently each afternoon from a chapter book of my choosing. This week she is reading an abridged Little Women ($1 at Target:001_smile:).

[LMD]

DD reads some of an assigned book before bedtime. And is free to choose whatever books she likes during reading/rest time (30-60mins in the afternoon).