This document discusses methods for incorporating student choice in reading within the English Language Arts classroom. It begins by outlining the benefits of choice reading, including improved reading skills, increased engagement and motivation. It then examines how the Common Core State Standards support student choice in reading material. Various methods for facilitating choice are presented, including allowing students to choose from text sets aligned with themes or genres, individual novel selection, and replacing whole-class novels with options like read-alouds. Student feedback indicates that choice reading leads to increased reading enjoyment and motivation. Specific examples of implementing choice units that pair young adult novels with classics are also shared.

1. Facilitating Choice
Within Curriculum
Constraints
Methods for incorporating student choice in
reading within the ELA classroom
Sarah Andersen, 10th & 12th grade English teacher, Fenton High School, MI
Jillian Heise, 7th/8th grade language arts, Indian Community School of Milwaukee, WI

2. Why Choice Reading?
● More reading = improved skills, increased
vocabulary, & higher test scores
(Allington, 2001; Krashen 2001 and Stanovich, 2000 as cited in Allington, 2002; Nippold et al., 2005)
● Move from teacher-chosen 4 books/year, to
students actively reading more at own level.
Less "stuff" & more real reading every day.
(Allington, 2001; Ivey & Broaddus, 2001; Miller, 2009; Worthy, Turner, & Moorman, 1998)
● As students grade level, reading attitude .
Need engagement & interest to motivation.
(Turner, 1995 as cited in Allington, 2002; McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth, 1995; Pitcher et al., 2007; Guthrie et al., 2006)

3. Know the Standards
Guiding your Curriculum
What the Common Core State Standards say about
what to read and who decides:
● Through reading...students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights,
explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective.
● At a curricular or instructional level, within and across grade levels, texts
need to be selected around topics or themes that generate knowledge and
allow students to study those topics or themes in depth. (CCSS ELA page 58)
● The standards appropriately defer the many remaining decisions about
what and how to teach to states, districts, and schools (using their
professional judgment and experience).

4. Distribution of Types of
Reading (CCSS)
“The percentages on the table reflect the sum of student reading, not just reading
in ELA settings. Teachers of senior English classes, for example, are not required to
devote 70 percent of reading to informational texts. Rather, 70 percent of student reading
across the grade should be informational.”
(CCSS ELA page 5)

5. Text Complexity &
Growth of Comprehension
Text complexity “consists of three equally important parts”
Whatever they are reading, students must also show a steadily growing ability
to discern more from and make fuller use of text.
(CCSS ELA p.8 & Appendix A)

6. Why & How I Stopped Using
the Whole Class Novel to
Teach Reading…
& What I Replaced it With
Jillian Heise, 7th & 8th grade Language Arts
Indian Community School of Milwaukee, WI

7. What motivates you to read?
Reading books you're
told
to read?
Reading books you
choose to read?
Why would it be any different for your students?

8. Why Choice Works
Meets student needs (Engagement is key)
● Interest/Background Knowledge
● Skill Level
● Teacher Trust in Student
● Affective Domain

9. With one book, how many
students benefit?
Teacher-chosen book who does real
reading?
These 7
aren't at all
interested
in this topic.
These 4 aren't ready
for this level of text
yet.
These 4
would have
chosen the
book on their
own.
These 5
are ready
for more
complex
text.
These 6 already read
the book.
These 2 are
interested &
at the right
ability level
for this book.
© Jillian Heise @heisereads

10. Looking for a common
experience with text?
What was your purpose for the whole class novel?
Did all students access & benefit from the text?
Can you meet that same purpose in a new way?
Try a Read Aloud

11. What am I really teaching?
I teach reading;
I don't teach books.
What is the curriculum?
The book or The skill
What is my goal?
Think like I do or Think for self
Answering specific teacher questions or Critical thinking
Giving same answer as all or Support for own answer

12. How many books are your
students reading each year?
=
engagement
+
motivation
more time
spent
reading

13. Alternatives to
the Whole Class Novel
Can a one-size fits all book meet my goals &
my students’ needs?
Which would entice you to want to read?
{Mythology}

14. Text Sets = Guided Choice
Theme/Topic/Genre or Form
{Mystery}
{WWII / Holocaust}
{Dystopian}
[Graphic Novels]
[Novels in Verse]
(Consider aligning with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.#.9)

15. Individual Choice
Students choose based on interest, ability, & recommendations.
Reading skills taught should transfer to any text being read.
*Consider adapting the 40 Book Challenge (Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer)

16. What to do with the books
READ
Get rid of the "stuff" and let them read!
● Confer with Teacher
● Respond in Writing
● Big Questions
● Book Talks
● Discussions with Classmates
○ Book Clubs let students talk about their reading
■ Same book groups
■ Different book groups

17. How do students find books?
The Classroom Library
Book Talks
Book Passes
Browsing Shelves
Themed Displays
Personal
Recommendations

18. What My Students Say
About Having a Choice
"Next year I'll keep looking for books that interest me. I think all
readers should have a voice in reading like I had a chance to this
year."
"There was never a time this year that I read a book I wasn't
interested in. It inspires me to continue reading this summer and
throughout my time at the high school."
"Reading the books I like actually got me to read for fun. I would only
read because I had to, but then when I started reading books I liked, I
would read just because I wanted to & it was interesting."
“Why am I reading more this year? Because you have good books
and let us read what we want to and we get to read in class
everyday."

19. Sarah Andersen, Fenton High School
Thematic Connections:
Pairing YA Novels with
Classic Texts

20. Background
In 2009 I wrote the curriculum for a Young
Adult Literature elective.
Students read three novels as a class & choose
three novels to read for a choice project.

21. Proposing My Idea
● YA Lit offers choice & high interest reading.
● Freshmen discover a (new/renewed) love of
reading through SSR.
● Proposed incorporating a YA thematic unit to
the English 9 curriculum because of the
success of YA Lit & SSR.

22. Creating the Unit
● With administrative support, I worked with
my department to create a unit that connects
thematically with To Kill a Mockingbird.
● We decided to branch out beyond racism
and also include topics such as maturity,
homosexuality, religious prejudice, etc.

23. The Novels
● The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by
Sherman Alexie
● A Light at the End of the Tunnel: Stories of Muslim
Teens by Sumaiya Beshir
● Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupula

24. The Novels (cont.)
● Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
● Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
● Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

25. Introducing the Unit
Before reading To Kill a Mockingbird, students
were informed that they'd be reading a YA
novel that thematically connects with the
classic.

26. Introducing the Unit (cont.)
The goal is to help students build stronger
connections with To Kill a Mockingbird and
develop a deeper understanding of the story.
Before beginning, the students are prepared to
work individually and collaboratively, with less
direct teacher instruction.

27. Choosing the Novels
Since there are a variety of novels, the students
sampled each of them with a book pass.

28. Teaching the Unit
● Majority of the class period was spent
reading.
● The other part of class time was spent
working collaboratively with their book
groups.
● We wanted the groups to feel like book
clubs.

29. Teaching the Unit (cont.)
Harvey Daniels' Mini-Lessons for Literature
Circles proved to be an invaluable resource.
● The students responded well to his mini-
lesson ideas and engaged in thoughtful
discussions.
● Many days they came into class already
discussing their books!

30. Final Assessment
Part of their group work involved finding
examples/quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird
and their choice novel to use as support in their
final assessment.
The students wrote an essay comparing their
YA choice novel to the classic. This was done
as a timed essay test.

31. Student Responses
● Tyler: “My favorite books I’ve read this year are A Long
Way Gone and Out of the Pocket. Both of these books I
got to choose to read and I liked them very much. They
both interested me and weren’t hard to read. I’ve
learned a lot about myself as a reader. If I get to pick
the book, I will most likely enjoy the book. However, if I
get forced to read a book there isn’t a good chance that
I will enjoy it too much or finish it.”
● Jake: "I have learned that if you have a good book,
reading is great. I may not be an avid reader, but I read
a little more now. Being able to choose my book made
a big difference."

32. More Unit Ideas
Classic & YA pairing
Mentor text choice unit for memoir writing

33. New District, New
Opportunities
● Looking for areas of opportunity for choice
reading.
● Starting with extra credit to “test the waters.”
○ The Stranger by Albert Camus & how society affects
the individual
● Beginning conversations w/department &
admin

34. Encouraging Choice
Start recommending books and guiding
students toward books they might like
● “What do you like to do (outside of school)?”
● “What’s the last book you read that you really liked?”
In order to do this, you have to know books!
Use your reading, PLN, librarian, Twitter, etc.

35. Build a Culture of Literacy

36. Know Books...Especially
Ones That Hook Adolescents

37. Next Steps for
Implementing in Your Room
● Build your classroom
library to provide access.
● Start reading. Then start
recommending books to
students.
● Give your kids time in
class to read.
● Find related themes &
books for novels you
currently teach.
● Start small-choose one
unit to try it (perhaps a
genre unit).
● Read. A lot. (Learn titles
and themes and which books will
connect with which students)
● Be a model reader
(students need to see you as an
authority and see your reading life)
● Be a book talker
(think of it as being an advertiser)
● Do read alouds
(Be the fluent example & share good
books that students might miss)
● Be a book pusher
(never miss an opportunity to
recommend a book to a student)

38. Following Up & Contacting Us
www.slideshare.net/mrsheise
Twitter
Jillian - @heisereads
Sarah - @yaloveblog
Blogs
www.heisereads.com
http://yaloveblog.com
Email
heisereads@gmail.com
lovingyalit@gmail.com