Independent Reading Time in my Spanish Class was the Best Thing I Ever Did (and How I Did It!)

I’ll be honest—when I first decided to implement independent reading time in my Spanish class, I had doubts. Ten whole minutes? Every class? That’s a lot of time when there’s already too much to do. But whether you feel like you just can’t afford to lose that time, or (let’s be real) maybe you’ve been looking for a totally justifiable way to trim 10 minutes off your lesson plan, let me tell you: this was the best decision I ever made (so far!).

How It All Started (a.k.a. My Moment of Genius)

It honestly started with a staff meeting talking about how our testing scores showed a high need for improvement in reading proficiency…amongst everything else. Honestly – we know this. Five years later (has it really been a half of a decade!?) and we’re still seeing the academic effects of COVID. Anyway, we’re sitting in this staff meeting, and as a non-member of the ‘core four‘ club (English, Math, Science, Social Studies), I usually sit through meetings about declining test scores like an unpaid extra in a drama I wasn’t cast for. State summative assessments don’t exactly care if my students can order tacos in perfect Spanish, so I’ve never felt particularly called to the front lines of test prep.

But as I half-listened, sipping my coffee and mentally running through my to-do list, a thought crept in—what if there was a way for me to help? Not with test prep drills or data charts, but in a way that actually made sense for my class. And then popped out the simple idea: give students 10 minutes at the end of every class to read a book of their choice in Spanish. No daily assignments, no overcomplicating it—just reading for the sake of reading.

The Benefits I Didn’t Expect (But Absolutely Love)

The first few days were a little chaotic (shocking, I know), but honestly, I was amazed at how quickly students got used to the process. Within a week, they were in their seats, books open, coffeehouse music playing in the background, looking like the main characters in a cozy bookshop montage. Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but still, the vibe was there. And here’s the thing—kids don’t think they love structure, but oh, do they thrive in it. Once they knew the expectations, they embraced the routine like pros. I expected independent reading time to help foster small improvements with fluency and comprehension. What I didn’t expect was everything else:

✨ A Calm, Focused End to Class: That last part of class went from chaotic to peaceful. I’m talking about a literal, tangible shift in the energy of the room. Students knew exactly what to do, and instead of scrambling to finish work or staring at me waiting for the bell, they were actually engaged (and silent, bless it).

✨ More Confident Readers: At first, some students picked books that were way too easy, and others jumped into Don Quijote thinking they were linguistic superheroes. But over time, they learned to choose books that actually matched their level, and suddenly, reading in Spanish didn’t seem scary anymore.

✨ Better Classroom Culture: This one was unexpected, but something about shared quiet reading time made the whole class feel more connected. They gave each other book recommendations, they saw that everyone was learning at their own pace, and they got into the rhythm of respecting that space.

Want to Get Started? I’ve Got You!

If you’re thinking, okay, but where do I even start?, I’ve got you covered. I put together a FREE Independent Reading Starter Kit that includes everything you need to introduce this in your classroom tomorrow—clear expectations, simple student trackers, and all the tips I wish I had from day one.

But if you’re ready to go all in and want to skip the trial-and-error phase, I also have a “Everything But the Books” Independent Reading Bundle that gives you all the resources I use—reading logs, accountability activities, and reflection prompts to keep students engaged and actually growing as readers.

Either way, trust me—this will be the best 10-minute investment you ever make in your Spanish class!

👉 Grab the FREEBIE here!
👉 Check out the FULL KIT here!

Have questions? Want to know more? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to help!