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August 18, 2025 9 mins

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Struggling to establish reading routines that don't leave you exhausted? Discover the magic of sustainable reading practices that transform your classroom culture while building essential literacy skills.

The most powerful reading routines aren't complicated—they're consistent, joyful, and purposeful. In this episode, we explore how simple structures like read-aloud, turn-and-talk, and quick response activities create safe spaces where comprehension flourishes naturally. You'll learn why post-lunch read-alouds can completely reset classroom energy, turning potential chaos into calm, focused learning moments.

We dive deep into practical implementation, showing how character-driven stories naturally incorporate social-emotional learning without forcing connections. Books featuring characters like Junie B. Jones, Ramona, or Trixie from Knuffle Bunny create opportunities for rich discussions about emotions, perseverance, and problem-solving. These conversations build comprehension more effectively than multiple rushed activities ever could.

The true value of reading routines extends beyond literacy—they're relationship builders that strengthen your classroom community. When we slow down and enjoy stories together, we create shared experiences that bond students together while developing listening skills, discussion etiquette, and genuine reading joy. As you implement these routines, remember that quality trumps quantity every time.

Ready to transform your reading instruction? Grab our free four-week reading unit focused on establishing routines and exploring character development. Next week, we'll tackle another pressing classroom challenge: helping students re-engage with real life beyond screens.

What reading routine has made the biggest difference in your classroom? Share your experience or ask questions in the comments!

Free Reading Unit for Setting Up Routines and a Focus on Characters

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to One Tired Teacher, episode 255, building
reading routines that stick anddon't drain you.
So today we are talking aboutreading routines and I know that
you know they've come a longway.
There's a lot of differentthoughts about all different
kinds of routines and what do wedo and what kinds of books

(00:23):
should they be reading, and allthis stuff.
And I've actually spoken a lotabout reading and I've done, I
don't know, like 45 differentvideos on YouTube in Readers in
the Making.
So if you're looking for, likespecific things to get kids
excited about reading and lovereading, then you might want to
check that out.
But today we're going to talkabout building some routines

(00:45):
that actually work and thatdon't make you feel like you
can't sustain them.
Hope you stick around.
Welcome to One Tired Teacher.
And even though she may need anap, this teacher is ready to
wake up and speak her truthabout the trials and treasures

(01:06):
of teaching here.
She is wide awake.
Wait, she's not asleep rightnow, is she?
She is awake, right.
Okay, from Trina Devery,teaching and Learning your host,
trina Devery.
Hey, so welcome back to OneTired Teacher.
Today we are diving into one ofthe most important parts of your

(01:26):
school year reading routines.
Now I know that sounds bigAnother thing to plan, right,
but stick with me, I'm talkingabout simple, consistent reading
routines that supportcomprehension, calm your
classroom and even help you fallin love with read alouds all
over again.
All right.

(01:47):
So why are reading routines?
Why do they matter, especiallyin our earlier years or in our
primary years?
Why do they matter?
Routines help kids feel safeand settled.
They also give you structurewhen things get chaotic.
Plus, they make it easier toenjoy to actually enjoy your

(02:08):
read aloud time without thepressure of tying it to 100
different standards all at once.
So one of my very favoritethings about reading a read
aloud is how it can justcompletely transform the moment,
like if kids were a little bittoo wound up.
You know I love doing it afterlunch.

(02:30):
I also did it like as a sharedreading during my reading block
as well.
Like read alouds are a crucialpart of the day, but I also like
to do them later on where it'slike no pressure and we're just
reading for the joy of reading.
And that would make all thedifference when we would come
back from lunch and recess andkids would be like kind of wound

(02:51):
up to have a little.
You know, quick, little funreading time, and usually I
would do like maybe even youknow a chapter book like Junie B
Jones or any of the Beezus andRamona books and my kids loved
Ramona and.
Or you know any of those kindsof things like that Magic
Treehouse, any of those kind ofbooks that are just fun and kids

(03:13):
get to relax.
I had a couch in my classroomand so they would.
I would call teams to the floorand the team that was actually
sitting, the nicest would getcalled first and of course, they
would usually pick the couch.
They got first dibs becausethey were, you know, doing a
great job, and then kids wouldhave to like come out, filter in
to the rest of the spots.

(03:33):
But it was just really relaxingand very calm and it definitely
transformed the afternoon.
Okay, so what is what a simpleroutine can look like?
So an example is like anexample flow is a read aloud, a
turn and talk and a quickresponse, whether that's oral,
written or artistic.

(03:54):
I really enjoyed teachingcomprehension in this way
because I would use it as like athink aloud or, you know, are
also a shared pen experience orI would stop and let kids turn
and talk to one another aboutlike questions that we had about
the story, or even formulatinga question or responding to

(04:16):
something that I asked, or evenlike sometimes I would have them
bring sticky notes and theycould jot things down and then I
would have them do some kind ofresponse afterwards.
Whether it was just a turn andtalk, whether it was written or
whether it was like an actualgraphic organizer, they had the
ability to respond to the text.
So that's kind of what a simpleroutine look like.

(04:39):
You know, read aloud, turn andtalk, quick response.
Another thing to do is like aquick little exit ticket.
That has always worked reallywell.
It's not super time consuming,very focused, very intentional,
and then it's like a quick, easy, little formative assessment.
You can repeat this structure.
It helps kids know what toexpect and it frees up your

(05:01):
brain.
Another thing we can do is wecan tie in like character work,
or we can tie in even social andemotional discussions or
comprehension skills.
All these things are likenaturally incorporated when, um,
when we are able to do a readaloud.
I just love to find books thatspark conversations about you

(05:25):
know kindness or identity orcourage, or you know bravery or
perseverance or grit.
Any of those kinds of thingscan just really enhance a
discussion and a response fromchildren.
I also love books that havelike character voices.
One of my favorite books toread in the beginning of the

(05:45):
year are the Trixie books by MoWillems and Knuffle Bunny.
I should say Knuffle Bunnybooks.
I called it Trixie, I don'tknow, I just thought of Trixie
for a second, but it's.
It's Knuffle Bunny, so KnuffleBunny, and then we've got
Knuffle Bunny.
Is it Knuffle Bunny 2?
Knuffle Bunny 3?
Yeah, I think it's KnuffleBunny too.

(06:07):
I feel like I don't know whatthe second one's called.
Anyway, they're very cute books.
I love to do Trixie's voice.
That's really fun for kids.
They think that's so.
And then we can talk about,like you know, how Trixie's
emotions change throughout thestory, how she overcame losing
Canuffle Bunny and how she gothim back, and things like that.
We want to keep it light butmeaningful.

(06:30):
We don't feel I don't want youto feel like you have to do it
all.
One rich discussion is so muchmore powerful than five rushed
activities.
We use these discussion timesto build comprehension and it

(06:50):
actually works and it helps kidsremember the story and better
understand and gain perspective.
We want to use routines tobuild listening stamina,
respectful discussion andreading joy.
We want to invite students intothe process.
What books do they love?
What do they wonder?
So it's really important tohave like kids involved in the
reading culture.
It's, you know, it's importantto have book bins and character

(07:14):
boards and voting on read aloudsand all the good stuff.
So those are that's a reallyimportant aspect to invite as
well.
So if you want a done for youroutine to kick things off, I do
have a free unit.
It's a it's in my read a yearlong read aloud units.
It's the first unit based oncharacters, but also the first

(07:38):
two weeks are really stronglybuilt on reading routines.
So it helps you get thosereading routines set up and it
focuses on really, you know,digging into what that looks
like, what it looks like to be areader.
It also we dig into likecharacters and characters
overcoming obstacles and it's aneasy way to launch your reading

(08:00):
block with confidence and calm.
So let me see if I can find theeasy to remember URL.
Sometimes I have a good one andsometimes it's not so great.
Okay, so it's not bad.
It's Trina Deberry, teachingand learningcom forward slash

(08:20):
reading unit.
All one word reading unit andyou can grab that.
It's a free, it's.
It's several weeks.
I think it's a four week unitslesson plans, activities,
graphic organizers, all thethings and you can have that for
free.
It is part of my larger bundle.
So if you like that and youwant to keep looking at like
genre studies and things likethat, then you know maybe you

(08:43):
will be like, oh, I want thewhole thing and that's available
as well, but you can grab thatfirst unit for free.
A well loved reading read aloudisn't just a literacy tool, it's
a relationship builder.
I 100% believe that this is oneof the keys to why I had such a

(09:04):
strong classroom, family,classroom communities.
Because of the books that Ichose and the discussions we had
and the characters that Ibrought to life for kids.
I think it makes all thedifference.
So give yourself permission tokeep it simple, slow it down,
enjoy the magic of readingtogether.
You've got this All right.

(09:25):
Next week we're talking aboutscreens, student focus and
helping kids re-engage in reallife.
Until then, sweet dreams andsleep tight.
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