Independent Reading Activities for Middle School ELA

Independent reading in the classroom has a ton of benefits for students, but when your schedule is already jam-packed, it can feel impossible to find the time. But just because it feels impossible doesn’t mean it is! I’m all in favor of independent reading in small doses, so you can do it more often and stay consistent. Plus, with these independent reading activities, you can keep students engaged and accountable during that time.

Why is Independent Reading Important?

There are a ton of benefits of independent reading, from increased comprehension to building stamina. But a lot of teachers feel like they don’t have time for independent reading in the classroom, so they dedicate a bigger chunk of time once a week – as opposed to smaller reading moments throughout the week.

I want to give you a few benefits of independent reading and why it pays off to do it more often (even if it’s only for a few minutes each day).

#1 Retention and Comprehension

A lot of students get lost while they are reading. They might lose focus or “drown” in the amount of information. Reading in smaller chunks each day prevents students from reading to the point of “information overload”, so they can better retain and comprehend what they read.

Students also get a chance to practice their comprehension skills when independent reading, which of course helps those skills grow. Another great reason to make time throughout the week for independent reading!

#2 Stamina

If you have a dedicated independent reading day (or a big chunk of reading time each week), you might notice students getting restless halfway through. Even most adults can’t sustain reading for 30-50 minutes straight.

Luckily, reading in smaller chunks throughout the week and staying consistent with the schedule can increase stamina. Stamina isn’t just important for reading longer, but also comprehension. When students get tired of reading or aren’t focused, they are less likely to absorb what they read.

#3 Normalcy

The ultimate dream as an ELA teacher is to see students engage in independent reading all on their own. That starts by making independent reading a consistent and normal part of your classroom routine. Reading consistently reinforces the idea that reading is valuable and essential, and can help students develop habits for lifelong reading.

Independent Reading Activities

A big fear teachers have around independent reading is that students will be off task. Fair enough. You’ve probably experienced class periods where independent reading time turned into nap time (or secretly sneaking a peek at phones). With these independent reading activities, you can hold students accountable and reinforce reading skills.

#1 Daily Rating

After each independent reading session, have students summarize the events that took place and give it a rating. You can even have them explain their rating. For example, they might give the book a 3 out of 5 for the day because the pace was too slow or the characters’ actions were frustrating.

This independent reading activity does a few things. It asks students to stop and summarize after they read, which helps them process the key points. It also forces them to analyze the text by rating it and explaining what they enjoyed or what was missing from the reading.

#2 Reading Response

If you want to focus on a certain skill, give each student a reading response question for the day. The trick is you want these questions to be vague enough that no matter what book students are reading, they can answer the text. For example, you might ask students to analyze character development in the story or how the setting effects the novel.

This is a good independent reading activity if you want to hone in on a certain skill that students are struggling with or that you have been working on in class.

#3 Reading Conferences

Reading conferences aren’t just for your reading units (and they don’t have to be formal either). With reading conferences, the goal is to chat 1:1 with students and check in on their reading progress. Instead of trying to quiz students during this meeting, just ask what they like about the book or their favorite moment so far.

This independent reading activity helps you gauge where students are at. It also helps course-correct if a book isn’t the right fit, and get them excited about reading. (Who doesn’t love to talk about a good book?)

I know that implementing an independent reading routine can be challenging, but I promise that the benefits of independent reading make it worth it! Plus, when you have students read for a little bit each day, it’s easier to fit into your schedule, you’ll see fewer behavior issues, and students can grow their skills more quickly. Use these independent reading activities to hold students accountable and keep their skills growing, even when reading solo.