 | Independent Work Time (reading instruction)
 | | Christine Osorio, executive director |
Best Practices in Instructional Leadership
(September 2011)
Christine Osorio, executive director
Curriculum, Instruction, Professional Development
St. Paul Public Schools
Rigor and Accountability:
Independent Work Time
Many of our districts have adopted a workshop model for
reading instruction: a whole-group lesson followed by independent work time,
during which the teacher rotates through small groups providing differentiated
reading instruction and/or conferences with individual students. Ideally, the
class wraps-up with a whole-group share that is tied directly to the lesson
objective of the hour.
An age old question for many teachers has been, “How do I
keep the rest of the class engaged while I am working with a small group?” This
challenge is not a new one, but as accountability increases, teachers are
striving to increase not only engagement during independent work time, but also
rigor. I would argue that this
challenge is most difficult in our youngest grade levels where students are
most dependent on the teacher for guidance and direction.
Here are some ideas for increasing engagement and
accountability. -
Ensure
that students are actually reading and responding to literature during independent
work time. Too often this time is filled with other types of busywork.
- Establish
a system for monitoring students’ independent reading and ensuring that
books are appropriately leveled for each child.
- Post a
task board to guide small group rotations and independent activities.
- Always
have assignments for independent work time posted visually for students to refer back to when they forget what
their job is.
- Especially
with younger students, or those who are easily distracted, consider a
computer station as part of the rotation where students can read books
online or in a digital format. This simple change in format can keep
students reading longer when stamina is an issue.
- Have
students check off a simple to-do list during independent work time. This
provides a visual when they forget what their job is and can be an
accountability tool to be turned in during closing. This can be printed on
a half-sheet or on a strip of paper, much like a bookmark.
- Consider
having partners confer with each other about their checklist or a rubric
for independent work.
Contact Christine at Christine.osorio@spps.org
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