Supporting Independent Readers in the Middle School English Classroom by Visiting Their Local Library

When students engage in independent reading, which is reading a book of your choice for pleasure, they do better in school. Many studies have positively correlated independent reading with higher grades, higher graduation rates, and more advanced reading and writing skills. The challenge for teachers is to nurture joy in reading, as this does not come naturally for all students. Some of the proven ways to foster independent reading for students, specifically middle school students, is to teach them about different types of books, give them a variety of books to choose from for independent reading, give them time to read, allow them time to talk to their peers about reading, and be a good reading role model. The focus of this capstone project is how can a middle school teacher that works at a school without a library, utilize the public library to support independent reading in their classroom? Many schools do not have libraries, which is the best way to expose students to a variety of books. The literature review examines the history of public schools and libraries, discusses the importance of independent reading, and then focuses on how a middle school teacher can support independent reading. The project is a curriculum in three units that should provide a roadmap for middle school teachers to support their students in independent reading by teaching students about genres, encouraging book discussions, and preparing students for choosing and checking out books at the public library.