***Updated 7/5/2021 – Below is a glance at our Self Directed Reading Program. I use that term instead of Free Voluntary reading because students complete simple accountability assignments throughout the program. A true Free Voluntary Reading program does not require accountability from students.

You will see a new section below. These will be titles I haven’t observed with students. During the 2020-2021 school year, I stopped writing reviews to focus on taking care of myself. The plan is to continue offering short reviews focused on how students use the titles in our reading program.

Authors, if you don’t see a title listed contact me and I will update the library. This is a qualitative View of our program. You may find places that you disagree with the placement of a title in a level. Please make the change for your program because you know the students in front of you the best. ***

My intent is to catalogue readers in a way that allows students to create reading plans and reading goals. My level choices have much to do with our Latin program. We left the Ecce Romani textbook in 2016. We offer AP Latin as a 4th year option that meets at the same time as the Latin 4 class. There is an attempt to use high frequency vocabulary from Caesar and Vergil throughout the program. As our organic curriculum continues to unfold these consistencies seem to return every year in our program.

Personal preferences, family and friend themes are frequent in level 1
Home, travel and views of others are frequent in level 2
Roman daily life, education, history and literature begin to appear in level 3
Beauty, leadership, and memory offer chances for Level 4 to connect with AP

These ideas affect the leveling system for my program. Certain vocabulary becomes familiar based on the content created in our curriculum. Consider what vocabulary may become familiar more quickly in your program and adjust titles in levels as needed. I’m convinced that a title could be a level B in my program based on vocabulary but could be a level C in your program or the opposite could be true. As I observe students, it seems the exact levels are not as important as a progression for students to follow as long as the titles are placed in a level that is within reason for the title.

Blogs with FVR/SDR/SSR thoughts and resources.

Mike Peto – Mike’s thoughts on Free Voluntary Reading are universal. Although a Spanish teacher, his writing style and direction for Free Voluntary Reading helped me to understand some of the important components to consider to create a successful reading program.

Magister P. – You can start a reading library with Magister Piantaggini’s published novels at an affordable price. But don’t miss his thoughts on Free Voluntary Reading while you browse the Pisoverse.

Comprehensible Classics – Magister Olimpi is another author who offers an opportunity to build a reading library affordably with just one author. His year in F7 posts offer fantastic insight into the day to day thought process of facilitating CI in a classroom.

John Piazza – A fantastic post about how to create a library and thoughts about the process of a reading program. John has also put together some pdf readers from textbook sources which are a great way to add some varied reading material early on. Just be careful as most textbook readings are more difficult than perceived as they do not always shelter vocabulary.

Latin Novella Database (LNDB) – Useful quantitative data about Latin novellas. The core word count data is extremely helpful to organize a classroom library with a simple progression of reading. But there is even more data with a syntax analysis of each title. This will become the place to start for the organization of a classroom library, although you may have slight differences as you observe students interact with texts based on your specific teaching and curricular context.

Books about reading

SSR Handbook – This is the resource to use to start a program with research, examples and ideas for reading response activities. Here are some thoughts about the important ideas to flush out in your mind as you start a reading program. See more at the following posts.

Access to reading materials. What are creative ways to add reading materials outside of purchasing as many of the book titles listed below?
Routine. It’s important to start students with less reading time than you think they are ready to handle. It is much easier to work up to more than it is to work down. Students’ perception of the time is important. Reading for short amounts of time often is better than reading one big chunk once and awhile. Students start to develop a reading routine which is a powerful driver of acquisition.
Response. Students want to respond to reading. But response opportunities should be a formative process. How can you vary response activities so that all types of students have a chance to interact with their reading and with other people’s thoughts? I use ideas from Lee Jenkins Optimize Your School to offer students formative feedback about their progress.
Report. Don’t evaluate and grade but it is important to report. Teacher/student conferences, written responses to student responses and informal conversation all are important ways to report back to students.

My posts about my own Self Directed Reading Program.

Reflections during the 1st semester of my self directed reading program that was sustained.

Library Levels Spreadsheet Link

Example Reading Log – a simple log that I use so that students can monitor their progress. This is used as evidence toward a student’s proficiency, but mostly in a way that they are engaging in reading. This falls under an interpersonal rubric I use to score their day to day processing of Latin.

Absence Management Log – *** I know longer use this process. Instead, I set a goal for the amount of reading logs that is 2-3 less than our reading sessions. That way, students can balance what needs to be completed when they are absent. I found with the absence log that many students just completed the log and didn’t have quality reading sessions. ***Students are expected to replace a small amount of Latin input for the days they miss. They can read from one of the titles below, read something online, listen to a podcast like quomodo dicitur or watch a Latin video like Magister Craft’s.