OVERVIEW

A daily DEAR program (Drop Everything and Read) provides students with
much more than a just-sit-there-and-read experience. It gives the teacher a
structured time to touch base with each student over a period of time,
assess progress, and target instruction. Even more important, it gives
students time to read what they want to read, share what they've read, and
receive the support they need for further reading explorations and
reflections. Daily reading sessions last between twenty and thirty minutes
and are followed by fifteen minutes in which students can write in their
reading response logs. When a student completes a book, he or she
conferences with the teacher to discuss the book and share his or her
reading log. PAL book talk sessions with adult volunteers follow. Volunteers
spent less than ten minutes discussing the book with the student and follow
up with a brief note of encouragement.