Time Tax for the List in Middle School

Middle schools usually have 45 minutes, ya'll. 

Using the Hasbrouck and Tindal (2017) 50th percentile norms, students would spend the vast majority of their school year just moving through the text.

Python

# Constants for Middle School (Grades 6-8)
grades_data_ms = {
    "6th Grade": [15, 60000],
    "7th Grade": [12, 75000],
    "8th Grade": [10, 85000]
}

# Hasbrouck & Tindal 2017 50th Percentile Averages (WCPM)
ht_norms_ms = {
    "6th Grade": 144.0,
    "7th Grade": 156.7,
    "8th Grade": 165.7
}

DAILY_MINS = 45

results_45min_only = []

for grade, data in grades_data_ms.items():
    num_works = data[0]
    avg_words = data[1]
    total_words = num_works * avg_words
    
    # Time for student reading using H&T norms
    student_reading_mins = total_words / ht_norms_ms[grade]
    
    # Days to finish if the ENTIRE 45 mins is used for reading
    days_to_read = student_reading_mins / DAILY_MINS
    
    results_45min_only.append({
        "Grade": grade,
        "Total Words": f"{total_words:,}",
        "Reading Rate (H&T)": f"{ht_norms_ms[grade]} WCPM",
        "Days to Finish (Full 45-Min Block)": round(days_to_read, 1)
    })

import pandas as pd
df_45min = pd.DataFrame(results_45min_only)
print(df_45min.to_string(index=False))

Code output

    Grade Total Words Reading Rate (H&T)  Days to Finish (Full 45-Min Block)
6th Grade     900,000         144.0 WCPM                               138.9
7th Grade     900,000         156.7 WCPM                               127.6
8th Grade     850,000         165.7 WCPM                               114.0

Middle School: Days to Finish (Full 45-Minute Period)

These figures represent the time required for a single, initial reading of all mandated works with zero minutes spent on discussion, vocabulary, or analysis. No writing. No grammar.

Grade	Total Word Count	H&T Reading Rate	Days to Finish (45-Min Block)	% of School Year
6th Grade	~900,000	144.0 WCPM	138.9 Days	77%
7th Grade	~900,000	156.7 WCPM	127.6 Days	71%
8th Grade	~850,000	165.7 WCPM	114.0 Days	63%

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Key Takeaways for the 45-Minute Block

• The "Pure Reading" Trap: Even without teaching writing, a 6th-grade student must spend 77% of their school year just reading the books on the list to finish them once. This leaves roughly 40 days for the entire school year to cover all other state standards (TEKS), including grammar, research, and media literacy.

• The Coverage vs. Depth Conflict: In education, "reading" is not synonymous with "learning." To actually master these texts, a teacher typically needs to spend time on pre-reading, vocabulary, and post-reading analysis. If a teacher adds just 15 minutes of discussion to each 45-minute period, the 6th-grade list would take 208 days to complete—exceeding the standard 180-day school year.

• Impact on Struggling Readers: For a student in the 25th percentile (e.g., 6th grade at 118 WCPM), the 6th-grade list requires 169 days. This student would spend nearly every single minute of their ELAR class for the entire year just reading the mandated books, with no time for the specialized instruction needed to close their reading gap.

• The Zero-Margin Schedule: A 45-minute period is a "high-speed" environment. Once you account for administrative tasks (attendance, getting materials ready), the actual "eyes-on-text" time is often closer to 35–40 minutes. Reducing the daily reading time to 35 minutes pushes even the 8th-grade timeline to 146 days.