Building Stamina in Our Youngest Students
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Melissa McNally
In my kindergarten classroom, I have noticed that early readers often have a more difficult time sustaining independence during Read to Self. Here are some tools and strategies I have introduced to help develop stronger stamina.
Use a whisper phone. Kids love to hear themselves, and a whisper phone can provide needed motivation and help build fluency, all while keeping the noise level low. These are easy to make or available to buy.)
- Set a goal ahead of time. Before reading, have students set out the stack of books they would like to get through during Read to Self. After reading each book, they move it back into their book bin, leading to a dwindling pile and a sense of accomplishment.
- Do a good-fit check. Do they have enough good-fit books to sustain them for an entire round of Daily 5? Because of the pace at which many of them can read emergent-level books, many students may need as many as 10–15 titles to keep them engaged.
- Review the 3 Ways to Read a Book. Every student can be a successful, independent reader with one of these methods.
- Revisit seating options. A student struggling with stamina doesn’t need much of a distraction to break focus. Is there a certain spot in the room that works best for that student? Is there a furniture choice that helps make him or her more comfortable?
- Use fidgets and timers. If a student can sustain reading for just a few minutes, show them how to use a two-minute sand timer for a brain break. While the sand runs, they play with a small fidget toy or manipulative, and then they get back to books when the time is up.
- Allow the student to use a fun finger pointer. Students in my room have access to a plastic martian finger, finger lights, and googly-eyes finger puppets. When taught to use them as tools, not toys, these novelty items help engage them long enough to build stronger stamina.
These scaffolds will undoubtedly be temporary but can serve as personalized support to help all students create habits of independence and become lifelong readers.
