Reading stamina is the reading equivalent of physical fitness. It’s the stamina you need to read for extended periods of time, and it can be developed with practice. The reading muscles – your reading skills – get stronger as they’re used, just like any other muscle in your body. If you’ve ever exercised before, you know that after a few days or weeks of working out, you’ll notice new strength and endurance. You’ll also see an increase in confidence: knowing that even if the going gets tough (like when reading a challenging book), you can push through because your reading stamina has improved dramatically. But reading stamina doesn’t just happen on its own!
A child’s ability to read is one of the most critical skills that they will ever develop. When an individual has good literacy stamina, it means they can experiment with more challenging texts and go on longer adventures in books! We consider stamina The ability to read significant stretches of time is called reading stamina.
Reading #1: Gaining reading stamina through silent reading
Although this is an American-based article, New Zealand has many parallels. One of the ways suggested in the article to increase reading stamina is to provide time for students to read in the classroom. In my classroom, students read silently on MyOn for 30 minutes at the start of each day. This is in addition to the regular classroom reading program.
Being able to read independently for long stretches helps students to make deeper connections with challenging text. That same focus also sets the stage for students to discover the true meaning of the story they’re reading.
Students also begin to take ownership of learning when they have greater endurance for reading — and not only in literacy but in other subjects and areas of life, as well. That ‘stick-to-it’ attitude is what we want to have students demonstrate is critical for tasks beyond reading and school.
Reading #2: Ways to build stamina for reading
This article outlines ways to practically support students in the classroom to increase their reading stamina.
Reading #3: Creating Passionate Readers Through Independent Reading
This article looks at how can we ensure that students are successful not only at learning to read but also at becoming as driven about reading as they are about their video games, sports, or other hobbies.
At Glen Innes School we have started using Renaissance Reading as a way to increase reading stamina, foster a love of reading and broaden vocabulary. This programme has been implemented from Year 5-8.
Students read for a minimum of 30 minutes each day in class. Students do a test to at the start of the programme to establish their ZPD (zone of proximal development). This then gives them what we call a 'reading range' rather than a reading age or score. This reading range allows students to choose books within their reading range. Renaissance has an extensive library and students are able to choose topics that they want to read about. At the end of the text, students do a quiz to establish their understanding/ comprehension of the text. Like most paid, online content I am able to monitor their progress and assign tasks and mini projects.
It has been interesting to note thatgraphic novels are a hit with the boys, but not so much with the girls.
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