Reading & Literacy Report Roundup

Reading Instruction

By Liana Loewus — May 09, 2017 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Nearly all teachers and principals believe students should have time for independent reading at school, yet only about a third of teachers set aside time each day for it, according to a recent survey by Scholastic.

A nationally representative sample of nearly 3,700 PreK-12 teachers, including several dozen school librarians, and more than 1,000 principals reported on student reading and access to books. More than 90 percent of them agreed that “students should have time during the school day to read a book of their choice independently.”

But just 36 percent of teachers said they were able to make time for such reading every day. Nearly a quarter of teachers say they never make time for it—though it’s important to note the question was asked of teachers for all subjects and grade levels.

When independent reading occurs, students spend an average of 22 minutes on the activity. Asked about the primary barrier to independent reading time, 9 out of 10 teachers cited “demands of the curriculum.”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the May 10, 2017 edition of Education Week as Reading Instruction

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
(Re)Focus on Dyslexia: Moving Beyond Diagnosis & Toward Transformation
Move beyond dyslexia diagnoses & focus on effective literacy instruction for ALL students. Join us to learn research-based strategies that benefit learners in PreK-8.
Content provided by EPS Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Webinar
Cohesive Instruction, Connected Schools: Scale Excellence District-Wide with the Right Technology
Ensure all students receive high-quality instruction with a cohesive educational framework. Learn how to empower teachers and leverage technology.
Content provided by Instructure
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
How to Use Data to Combat Bullying and Enhance School Safety
Join our webinar to learn how data can help identify bullying, implement effective interventions, & foster student well-being.
Content provided by Panorama Education

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on Reading & Literacy
This Spotlight will help you learn how classroom conversations can boost reading proficiency, examine literacy retention policies, and more.
Reading & Literacy Teachers Say Older Kids Need Help With Basic Reading Skills, Too
Secondary teachers want more support to help their students who struggle to understand the texts they use in class.
4 min read
Photograph of a white boy with his head in his hands showing frustration as he reads a book in the library.
E+
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on K-12 Reading Intervention
This Spotlight will help you learn how to better support struggling older readers, strategies for boosting reading proficiency, and more.