Student reading during reading class: The lost activity in reading instruction

Practice in oral and silent reading is an important component in the development of reading skills. But the extent to which students’ reading instruction emphasizes such practice has not been documented. In this study, observational techniques were used to investigate the extent to which second-grade students actually read during a typical reading instructional period. Data on 53 events within 6 categories were collected in 10-second intervals during 2 two- hour reading periods for each of 27 students. Approximately 240 minutes of scheduled reading time was observed; about 75% of that time was allocated to reading instruction. Students actually engaged in oral and silent reading 10-12 minutes during one reading period. The results are discussed with regard to effects of practice time on student reading.