Encouraging Independent Reading and Reader Response

"How can we as educators make sure that all of our students very strongly value reading and responding to what they read?" (Graves, 351.)

In chapter twelve, Graves offers some solutions to the question stated above.

Independent reading is defined as students reading by choice for their own reasons whether that be for pleasure, entertainment, or knowledge. Some benefits this chapter states are associated with independent reading include instilling a positive attitude toward reading, giving students the opportunity to expand their knowledge, providing practice to improve decoding and comprehension skills, helping to develop automaticity, and expansion of the students vocabulary.
Methods suggested to encourage independent reading include providing time to read, providing a vast array of reading material as well as a place to read, helping students select appropriate material, creating an independent reading program, and encouraging out of school reading.
I find that in school it is often hard to find time to do independent reading. Being bogged down with all the assigned readings from textbooks, articles, etc. reading can feel like a chore and is often so time consuming doing any leisure reading is almost unheard of. In grade school we had a half hour set aside each day for SSR (sustained silent reading). We were permitted to read a book of our choosing and were not allowed to use the time as a study hall. I thought this was important because had we been allowed to work on assignments during this period, everyone would have done so and not read at all. When leisure reading is so scarce, that half hour a day is very valuable time in order to maintain all the skills and benefits that independent reading give us.
One thing I would like to implement in my classroom would be giving the students a place to read. One of the most memorable things for me from kindergarten and first grade were our respective "reading nooks." In kindergarten it was a bath tub filled with bean bags. In first grade, it was a little club house in the corner of the room filled with pillows. Each week a different student was selected and they could choose one other student to read in the reading nook with them. This made reading special and exciting for each of us and really something to look forward to. By implementing some of these practices, we can encourage students to read independently both in and outside the classroom.