Building a Community of readers – 5 Reasons to use a Reader’s Interest Survey

Start the year right with a quick survey to get to know your readers. The key to reading achievement is – reading! Read on to find out why spending 15 minutes on a Reader’s Interest Survey is a great investment of your time!

  1. To choose great read alouds for your class.  There are so many wonderful books out there.  Throughout the year you will want to strive for a mix of new genre and new authors along with a few favorites.  The survey results will help you get the mix just right!
  2. To match individual readers with that just right book to motivate them!  We know that motivated readers read, and that key to motivation is student choice and voice. A survey will help you listen to your students and guide you to start with titles they already love, and then stretch them to new titles, new genre and new authors.
  3. To buy books for your classroom library, and make sure you’ll get titles they’ll read!  Choice is an essential component of motivating readers, especially struggling readers.  The Reading Interest Survey will help you make wise choices on how to spend your hard-earned money. You don’t want to clean up at the end of the year and find books that have never had the cover cracked!
  4. To plan Literature Circles and Book Groups that will help your students love reading and learn the skills they need.  The survey results will help you match students with other students, building a community in your classroom and growing the reading conversation!
  5. To get to know your students and grow your relationship with them.  Strong relationships are key to building a vibrant classroom community and managing student behavior.  A Reading Interest Survey will help you have great conversations with your students.

A few minutes at the beginning of the year can save you time and money. You don’t need to spend weeks on reading conferences to get to know your students’ likes and dislikes. A quick Reader’s Interest Survey will help you gather information quickly and get those kids reading!

Click here to purchase my Reader’s Interest Survey on TPT.

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