“Silent reading” often takes place at strategic times during the school day. Children are engaged in “silent reading” (which is often anything but silent) straight after lunch or a break periods. This gives teachers time to organise and fine tune preparation for lessons to come. Sometimes silent reading is encouraged because teachers need time to complete records, work with individual children, and so on.

It’s often felt that silent reading does not really fill a useful or meaningful purpose in school programs. At best, it is often random and concludes with children putting books away. There is a possibility they have enjoyed reading, but with little sense of completion.

Silent reading is an activity that can be made engaging and meaningful. A working strategy might be as follows:

Ask children as they read to take note of the following. You might even develop these or similar markers with the class before this activity becomes operational.

• The title of the book and the authors and illustrators.

• The construction of a verbal summary about the book.

• The development of an understanding of that can be shared, of the main characters in the text, or what the text is about if it is nonfictional.

• A synopsis of what the reader has learned from the text to date. Every story has a moral, and every factual text A message that is being sold.

• An indication of whether the text is more or less appropriate for younger or older students and why.

• Are recommendation. Would you encourage others to read the book or not; why you’re making that recommendation.

Encourage children to take brief notes as they read, to cover the points listed above. You might also create a template or rubric that outlines these elements, with children to fill in the blank’s.

At the end of the period, ask a number of children to share their learnings as outlined. Oral expression can be assessed. Children are encouraged to build confidence through this sharing and that is the point should be understood.

It is wise to check the names of children on a list with a date to show when they have presented to the group. This means that next time the activity takes place, other children can be selected to offer their verbal summaries.

This could be pre-organised on a roster or keeps as a ‘cold turkey’ activity so children do not know when they will be selected.

Any activity that enhances “silent reading”, adding meaning and purpose is worthwhile. Value adding is an outcome and extension, enriching comprehension and oral expression opportunities