Make Every Minute Count: A Strategic Approach to Literacy

Make Every Minute Count: A Strategic Approach to Literacy

How a 20-20-20 strategy can accelerate reading growth

By Michael Haggen, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education

How much time are students actually spending reading each day? Time matters. More than almost any other factor, the amount students read predicts how well they’ll read. Yet, when we track actual reading time, it’s often far less than we think—sometimes only seven to ten minutes in a 90-minute literacy block.

The 20-20-20 Approach

To address this, I recommend a simple strategy: 20-20-20.

• 20 minutes during ELA or the literacy block

• 20 minutes in other content areas like science or social studies

• 20 minutes at home

That’s an hour of authentic reading woven throughout the day—not added on top of an already packed schedule. Research shows that students who read 60 minutes daily can reach the 95th percentile in reading growth and acceleration¹. 

Why It Matters

Reading isn’t just for ELA. Students need to comprehend texts in science, social studies, and math. If they can’t make sense of a lab procedure or historical source, learning stalls. Integrating reading across subjects builds background knowledge, vocabulary, and stamina. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Early Warning report underscores this: students not proficient by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Guthrie and Humenick’s (2004)² research confirms that access to engaging texts and choice boosts motivation and achievement. Simply put: the more students read, the better they do.

Bridging Instruction and Independent Reading

This is where Scholastic can help. Scholastic’s new Core-Aligned Collections bridge instruction and independent reading with authentic, full-length books that mirror the unit themes and modules of today’s leading ELA programs. These collections make it easy for teachers to integrate independent reading into the literacy block and across content areas—supporting the 20-20-20 vision without adding extra planning time.

Making It Work

Start small. Track reading time. Build routines. Encourage reading at home as an extension of classroom learning—not as a worksheet assignment. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s a mindset shift. Reading should be the thread that runs through the entire school day and beyond.

Even in busy school environments, this is achievable. You don’t need a new curriculum or major funding—just a commitment to protecting reading time and providing students with meaningful, connected texts. When students read more—when they have time every day to get lost in books, build knowledge, and practice skills—they don’t just become better readers. They become better learners. 

That’s the power of 20-20-20—and a vision worth pursuing.

¹ Anderson, R.C., Wilson, P.T., & Fielding, L.G. (1988). Growth in reading and how children spend their time outside of school. Reading Research Quarterly, 23(3), 285–303.

² Guthrie, J.T., & Humenick, N.M. (2004). Motivating students to read: Evidence for classroom practices that increase reading motivation and achievement. In J.T. Guthrie, A. Wigfield, & K.C. Perencevich (Eds.).