ADVANCED READERS

Advanced readers are readers who are reading at 2+ levels ahead of their grade. Advanced readers may have advanced skills and vocabulary, high levels of task commitment, and the ability to grasp complex information. Advanced readers may need more complex texts to read, instruction that is interest based, and the freedom to have additional choices in how they show their learning (Anderson, n.d.).

Technology Tools

Book Creator

Students can create and publish digital books with this application. This app can serve as an extension tool for advanced students to create digital interest projects.

Google Arts & Culture

This application can be used as a resource for a special interest project. Students can research artists and art movements. The application uses augmented reality/virtual reality to bring art to life.

Concepts for Educators

Students that are advanced in reading may have higher levels of self-regulation.

Students may be able to be more independent and focus for longer periods than their peers. Students who display these characteristics may benefit from special interest projects or choice boards that extend on the student’s prior learning (Anderson, n.d.).

As a teacher of advanced readers it is important to create room for choice.

Students who are advanced readers need instruction that is based on their personal strengths and interests. Interest inventories can be used by teachers or reading instructors to gauge what students’ interests may be (Anderson, n.d.).

Students who are advanced may fall behind if not adequately challenged.

Students who are advanced may face underachievement when they aren’t challenged enough. It is important that students who are advanced are challenged enough to keep themselves interested while not being so overwhelmed that they become stuck (Anderson, n.d.).

Resources for Educators

Website - National Association for Gifted Children

This resource is a website that provides information for educators and guardians of students who are advanced or gifted and talented. For educators, the website describes best practice strategies for identification, instruction, and specialized programming.

Link: https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/gifted-education-practices

Video - The Challenges of Being a Gifted Student

This video highlights potential challenges that advanced or gifted students may face in the classroom. These challenges are important for educators and guardians to be aware of.

Textbook - Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use by Susan Winebrenner and Dina Bruelles

This is a textbook that was used in EDRD 450 Differentiated Reading Instruction at Winona State University. This book provides a variety of useful and practical strategies for educators to use in their classrooms to differentiate instruction for their advanced readers.

Resource: List of Age-Appropriate Books for Advanced Readers

Link: https://growingbookbybook.com/age-appropriate-series-books-for-advanced-readers-in-kindergarten-1st-grade/

Strategies & Activities

Strategy - Interest Inventories

Interest inventories are a great way to gauge students' interests. These simple self assessments can help teachers guide students toward books that they may be interested in. For an example of an interest inventory please see the example by Scholastic below.

Link: https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/blogs/alycia-zimmerman/migrated-files/82714_reading_interest_survey.pdf.

Strategy - Offer Students Choices

Students who are advanced readers benefit from engaging in extension activities that offer choice and an outlet for creativity. One way to do this would be to offer students a choice board that gives students a list of possible extension activities to choose from (Anderson, n.d.).

Strategy - Provide Students with Challenging Texts

Students who are advanced readers often do not benefit from the majority of the standard curriculum. Students need to be challenged with texts that are at their independent reading level but that are still at the appropriate maturity level.

Strategy - Encourage Students to Read Everywhere!

Students who are advanced readers often love to read for pleasure. Encourage them to keep up this habit. Keep a variety of leveled books about different topics in the classroom library.

Activity - Book Talks

Introduce new and interesting books to students. Keep copies available in the classroom library.

In addition to this, invite a local librarian in to talk about books that are available at the public library. Public librarians may also have information about events happening at the library that could serve as great extension opportunities for readers.

Resources

Anderson, M. (n.d.) Advanced Readers. [PowerPoint slides]. D2L.

https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/5932642/viewContent/57601766/View

Free Spirit Publishing. (2018). Teaching gifted kids in today's classroom: Strategies and techniques every teacher can use. Amazon. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Gifted-Kids-Todays-Classroom/dp/1631983725/ref=asc_df_1631983725/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312736202848&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5717751042754939737&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1020147&hvtargid=pla-561455023387&psc=1&ref=&adgrpid=62017409437

Gifted education strategies. Gifted Education Strategies | National Association for Gifted Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/gifted-education-practices

Rodriguez, J. (2021, February 4). Books for advanced readers in Kindergarten and 1st grade. Growing Book by Book. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://growingbookbybook.com/age-appropriate-series-books-for-advanced-readers-in-kindergarten-1st-grade/

YouTube. (2021). Teaching Gifted Students | The Challenges of Being a Gifted Student | TenneyTube Episode 4. YouTube. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmME4U9nYzE.

Zimmerman, A. (2014). Reading Interest Survey. Scholastic.