Building Reading Stamina

Stamina is the ability to keep reading with focus for longer stretches.

Stamina is how long you can read with focus before your attention drifts. Like running, it grows with steady practice. Chapter books ask for more stamina than picture books, so building it opens up longer, richer stories. Start by noticing your current stretch. If you can focus for 12 minutes, aim for 14 or 15 next week.

Set yourself up to succeed: pick a quiet spot, choose a book you're interested in, and put away distractions. When your mind wanders, notice it, glance back to the last part you remember, and pick up from there. For example, a reader might realize, 'I just read a whole page and don't remember it. ' Instead of quitting, she rereads the last paragraph she understood and keeps going.

Small daily increases add up.

• 1Stamina is how long you can read with focus.
• 2Increase your reading time a little at a time.
• 3When your mind wanders, go back to the last part you remember.