Consider Other Points of View

One way to develop automatic decoding skills is to spend a lot of time reading. There is ample evidence that one of the major differences between poor and good readers is the difference in the quantity of total time they have spent reading...Clearly, the research literature strongly suggests that the total amount of reading done in the beginning stages has a powerful effect on the development of reading skills. ...Increasing the amount of reading students do is important, because as words are encountered repeatedly, there are a number of beneficial outcomes, such as improvements in word recognition, speed, ease of reading, and comprehension.

Samuels, S. J. "Reading Fluency: Its Development and Assessment." In Farstrup, A. E., and S. J. Samuels, eds. What Research Has To Say About Reading Instruction, 172-174. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 2002.

Reading fluency growth is greatest when students are working directly with you. Therefore, you should use most of your allocated reading instruction time for direct teaching of reading skills and strategies. Although silent, independent reading may be a way to increase fluency and reading achievement, it should not be used in place of direct instruction in reading. Direct instruction is especially important for readers who are struggling. Readers who have not yet attained fluency are not likely to make effective and efficient use of silent, independent reading time. For these students, independent reading takes time away from needed reading instruction.

Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA). Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children To Read, 29. Jessup, Md.: National Institute for Literacy at ED Pubs, 2001.
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