Using Reading Challenges to Engage and Stretch Student Readers

Middle School Café - Empowering Secondary ELA Teachers

Independent reading doesn’t have to disappear just because your district moved to a canned curriculum. In this episode, I share how reading challenges can be a flexible, low-pressure way to keep middle and high-level readers engaged—even when you’re teaching from a required program.

You’ll hear practical ideas for making reading challenges work in a busy classroom, suggestions for creating prompts that connect to your curriculum themes, and ways to recognize student effort without relying on rewards or prizes. I also share small classroom roles that give students voice and ownership in the classroom reading routine.

Whether you’re already using independent reading or looking for a manageable way to reintroduce it, this episode offers strategies that honor student choice and help you keep reading meaningful—all while sticking to your district pacing guide.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What a reading challenge really is (and isn’t)
• Why this approach works well for your mid to stronger readers
• Creative ways to build connections between challenges and curriculum themes
• How to give students voice through small classroom roles
• Ideas for recognizing effort and reflection (and no, it's not candy!)
  

Mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 45: Why Independent Reading Still Matters—Even with a Canned Curriculum
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