To foster fluency and comprehension, readers engage in reading at which they are highly accurate and successful, so most of their independent reading time is spent with material that can be read with 99-100 percent accuracy.

If you see readers who . . .

• attempt to read texts that have too many challenges for success.
• abandon books too frequently because of lack of interest or success.

One of the most important things to do to become a better reader is to spend lots of time reading good-fit books. To read fluently, all readers need texts that they can read with a high degree of accuracy and automaticity. Readers learn and rely on a method to aid in finding a text that they are successful reading, and they are empowered to choose good-fit books for themselves each time they select a book.

All readers must have time to look for and find a good-fit book. Once they have an established amount of time, they use I-PICK to help them select a book.

The beauty of the I-PICK method is that students can find a good-fit book whether they are in a bookstore, at a public library, at the school book fair, or somewhere else. The criteria are easy to remember and follow, so parents can support the selection of good-fit books at home.

Model the I-PICK process with the whole class and review it throughout the year. Bring in three to five different books and think aloud as you hold each one. Go through the following steps:

I – I choose a book and look it over, inside and out.

P – Purpose: Why do I want to read it?

I – Interest: Does it interest me?

C – Comprehend: Do I understand what I am reading?

K – Know: Do I know most of the words?

If the answer to any question is no, put the book down, because that is likely not a good-fit book for you. Pick up another book and ask the questions again. If you get to the end of the I-PICK and all the answers were yes, that is probably a good-fit book for you!

Suggested language:

• Is that a good-fit book for you? Show me how you know.
• Let's walk through the I-PICK steps together and talk about whether this is a good-fit book for you.
• Let's go through your book box so you can show me your good-fit books.

Possible ways to differentiate instruction:

• Give readers an I-PICK bookmark to remind them about the steps they can take to find, choose, and read good-fit books.
• Routinely ask students to show you how they chose their books and how they know the books are a good fit.
• Help students who select difficult books think of them as “goal books” instead of “read right now” books.

Reconsider materials, setting, instruction, and cognitive processes.

These strategies may provide support before, during, and after teaching this strategy:

• Check for Understanding; Monitor and Self-Correct
• Set a Purpose for Reading
• Tune In to Interesting Words