Independent Reading is reading that we do independently of what is required for work or school.
Reading should be encouraged at any age because it cultivates a positive relationship with reading and builds on one’s comprehension and fluency skills.
This blog post documents my own independent reading and serves as a mentor text to my students as we build our independent reading habits.
Title – How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States
Author – Daniel Immerwahr
Genres – Nonfiction, US history, military history
Current Page Number – 88
With the turn of the calendar, I, along with others are motivated to accomplish goals they’ve established for themselves. One of my goals is to read more and finish more books. I’m well known for starting tons of books, but actually finishing them is where I fall short. I’m hoping to change that this year. My Goodreads goal for finished books is 30. These Independent Reading Check In’s are my plan to holding myself accountable.
I am still reading How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr. I’m continuing to be wow-ed by Immerwahr’s writing style and presentation of information surrounding the expansion of the United States. I’ve just read about the Louisiana Purchase, Theodore Roosevelt’s escapades, the Spanish-American War, and the Supreme Court’s Insular Cases of 1901. I appreciate the book going in chronological order because it showcases how actions and events impact each other.
My reading progress has slowed with the return to school. As finals near for my students, the pressure is on for me to have the grade book up-to-date and the content continuing to move forward. This is going to be a consistent challenge for me, as it always is, but I feel like making it public and well-known is going to help me rather than hold me back.