Teaching Independent Reading in Supporting Balanced Literacy Learning for Young Learners

摘要

This exploratory case study describes an elaboration of teaching independent reading practice in the actual classroom. The participant of this study was an English teacher of a private elementary school in North Bali, Indonesia. The data were obtained through classroom observations and interviews. Then, the analysis was done using interactive data analysis model including four steps namely data collection, data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusion and verification. The findings reveal that the teacher implemented several steps of teaching independent reading through having book talks, incorporating minilesson, monitoring status of the lesson, managing group share, and initiating home reading activity. The teacher's implementation of independent reading practice helped students choose books by themselves before making a review of their favorite books, and sharing them with friends. The techniques used during the classroom practice indicate independent reading need to be immersed with routines and consistent practice.