Building reading stamina

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Students taking high-stakes tests must have the capacity to read for extended periods of time. Whether they’re reading a series of questions, or reading to comprehend a lengthy passage, endurance is crucial to their success.

Like most skills, reading stamina is something that improves gradually and with practice. How did the two-year-old who could barely sit through a board book become the eight-year-old who could read for hours at a time? Every night, a parent would read to him for as long as he’d tolerate it—sometimes it lasted only a minute. But, over time, one-minute books were traded in for three-minute books, then five-minute books, and so on. When the child consistently received interesting material at his level, the progression was natural.

Building Reading Stamina with Read Naturally Strategy Programs

Similarly, to build reading endurance with your students, offer them ample opportunities to read high-interest passages at their level. Students are more able to focus when the length of the passage isn’t intimidating and the topic is captivating enough to hold their attention.

Read Naturally programs are ideal for building reading stamina.

1. Read Naturally has high-interest, nonfiction passages at all levels, from emerging readers on up.
2. The passages gradually increase in length from level to level.
3. These passages work with the motivating Read Naturally Strategy to keep students engaged.
4. For students reading significantly below grade level, consistent one-minute practices help increase stamina as they advance to more difficult levels.
5. Students closer to grade level—especially students in levels 4.0 and above—may switch from one-minute timings to whole-story timings. This builds stamina for longer passage reading.

Students who advance through Read Naturally Strategy programs are increasingly able to read for extended periods of time. They develop the stamina needed for high-stakes tests. More importantly, they learn to love reading enough to get lost in it for hours.

 Learn more about the Read Naturally Strategy

Read Naturally Strategy programs

 Read Naturally Live (Web application)
 Read Naturally Encore (Print with audio)