Sustained Silent Reading

Practice Makes Perfect

When Mrs. Pascoe enters her classroom around eight in the morning, the room is quiet – the students have not yet arrived, but at ten minutes after eight a bell rings and students begin filing into the classroom. Some of the students chatter with each other while they enter; some go directly to their seats and take out a book of their choice and begin reading. As more students enter, the noise level increases; students compete to be heard over their peers. At eight-fifteen another bell rings. The voices quickly die out as all the students take out their books and begin to read. Mrs. Pascoe takes out a book of her own choosing and enjoys fifteen to twenty minutes of quiet time to read. After about fifteen to twenty minutes of silent reading – the exact time depending on her lesson plan for the day or simply how much reading she wants to do – Mrs. Pascoe begins her lesson in front of a quiet, attentive class.

She is able to achieve this through SSR. SSR is a form of school-based recreational

reading which provides students time to read silently from reading material, chosen from outside of the assigned texts, during a designated time period, every day, in school.

Sustained Silent Reading

According to Mrs. Pascoe, an English teacher of twenty-two years, SSR not only improves the academic abilities of her students, but it also acts as built in classroom management.

In her twenty-two years of teaching she has seen numerous positive effects.

Simple and effective

SSR has been implemented in schools under a variety of catchy names, such as Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), Unified Sustained Silent Reading (USSR) or Free Uninterrupted Reading (FUR).

These are all models of SSR sometimes with a slight change to better fit a particular school.

What is SSR?

Regardless of whatever flashy name or catchphrase is assigned successful models of SSR allow students to select their own books and require neither testing for comprehension nor book reports.

This model can include a set time for the whole school or just for a class, to sit and read.

SSR is a time for the students to simply read whatever they want.

Access Appeal Conducive environment Encouragement Distributed time to read Non-accountability Follow-up activities Staff training

SSR includes eight main factors.

Students must have access to a wide range of books

Teachers should stock their libraries with books that represent a variety of reading levels and genres.

A variety of books will help to build up lower readers and provide something of interest for each student.

Access

Allow the students to read whatever they wish such as, comic books, magazines, or novels.

This allows SSR to become something the students look forward to.

Appeal

Provide the students with a quiet productive place to read.

A major component is simply having a comfortable classroom with art work and other decorations around the room.

Keeping the class on task to ensure it is quiet for everyone also maintains a conducive environment.

Conducive environment

Just read something (model). Describe the benefits of silent reading. Discuss new books or your favorites.

Encouragement

Simply of supply students with a set time to do nothing except read.

Distributed time to read

In order for this model to work effectively neither credit nor consequences can be attached.

For optimal performance and improvement this should be a time that the student is stress-free.

Grading and other assessments of their reading may result in less achievement.

Non-accountability

The students may keep a journal or share what they have learned with their peers.

Just remember, these activities must remain stress free not over-graded.

Follow-up activities

Simple!

Staff training

Classroom Management Greater Desire to Read Improved Academic Performance Higher Test Scores

Benefits of SSR

Classroom Management

The class begins quietly The students have an opportunity to settle

into a mood conducive to learning. If the procedure is consistent then the

teacher is left with very little responsibility and freed to focus on other things.

It provides an opportunity for the teacher to settle into a mood conducive for teaching.

Benefits

Greater Desire to Read

One of the best things about SSR is that it fuels its own success.

Students who are exposed to SSR frequently describe a new found desire to read.

In fact, Many students exposed to SSR make claims of preferring books to television!

Benefits

Improved Academic Performance

Students exposed to SSR show improved ability to read and comprehend.

There is evidence that SSR improves higher level thinking.

Mrs. Pascoe’s students constantly show readin level improvement.

Benefits

Higher Test Scores

Higher test scores leads to more opportunities

It allows the teacher more options The school The student

Benefits

Time Tests Is it worth it?

Why Isn't it Used More?

It actually saves time!

Time

It improves scores There are ways to assess it.

Tests

Yes! It works every time!

Is it worth it?

Teachers have the opportunity and the responsibility to make or break human beings.

Teachers need to know what effect they’re having on their students.

Unfortunately, it is not only the teacher that seeks to assess student learning, but also parents, administration, state and government officials.

Responsibility

Through SSR students improve to such a high degree that their lives are enriched and they test higher on scores eliminating the need to choose between intrinsic or extrinsic gain.