Guidelines and Research on Reading Volume

At Long-View we make reading a priority and talk about “reading ambitiously.” It is our recommendation that children read for at least ten hours a week. While some of these reading hours occur during our day at Long-View, we have found a greater rate of success in reaching this goal when families set aside at least one dedicated hour at home, every school day, for their child to spend on reading. This is our minimum recommendation—meant for everyone, whether a child is an early reader or a fluent/experienced reader, able to navigate complex texts. A mountain of research supports the fact that success in reading is directly related to the amount of time a person spends reading.

At Long-View, we work to be sure that literacy instructional time goes to activities that involve “eyes on print.” We protect time for independent reading, and know that explicit and high-level instruction, access to high-interest texts, and time to read at length are crucial components within the school day. That being said, learners need even more time for independent reading than is available here at school….

literacyLisa ZapalacOctober 30, 2024Long-View Micro Schoolreading volume, reading diet

Curating a Diverse Library for Our Learners

Here at Long-View, the members of the Literacy team tend to moonlight as librarians. Whether during the school year on Thursday afternoons, early in the morning, or during the summer months, we are constantly expanding, curating, organizing, and pondering the Long-View library collection. In recent years, Long-View has particularly committed itself to enriching the diversity of the books we offer our learners. While the push for more diverse books—especially for children and teenagers—has become a major initiative across the education and publishing worlds in the United States only relatively recently, it’s much more than a fashionable trend. And it’s much more than an empty gesture towards inclusivity….

The Importance of Reading Volume

At Long-View, we work to protect our reading minutes and be sure that literacy instructional time does not go to activities that do not involve “eyes on print.” We protect time for independent reading, and know that explicit and high-level instruction, access to high-interest texts, and volume are crucial.

That being said, there is not enough time for independent reading during the day at school. We hold ambitious goals for daily reading at home….

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