Self-selecting is the act of the student choosing her own book to read based on her interests. It allows the student an opportunity to apply skills learned in other literacy lessons, exposes the student to a broad range of books, and helps the student analyze and understand why she makes her reading choices. Teachers can prompt this behavior by asking questions that lead the student to self-select, completing a presentation of “book teasers” or giving the student three options from which to choose.

A first-grade student who can focus on the text in front of her with little adult assistance is exhibiting self-sustained reading. This can look different from student to student. One student may look at pictures in a book and try to identify known words or letters, while another may read independently in a whisper phone. Teaching self-sustained reading requires lots of practice, significant modeling, clear expectations, and, most importantly, motivation.