Building Student Literacy Through Sustained Silent Reading

I am a teacher in a juvenile detention center. Many of my teens come to my class never having read an entire chapter book in their lives. Sustained Silent Reading is an integral part of our school day and is carried over into the time the students are in their cells. They have nothing to do but read when they are locked down. By hooking them during class by having a huge classroom library and then helping them choose books they can not only be successful with, but enjoy, we are creating readers! Sustained Silent Reading was put down as a waste of time in the 90's. We teachers who have been teaching for decades know that time immersed in reading is never a waste of time. One of the most important ways to improve reading, once a child can decode, is to have them read, read, and read some more. Then we talk and share about what we read. If I had a nickel for every time one of my students said, "Hey, can I have that book next?" I would be a rich woman--a rich teacher, what a novel idea! This book will help other teachers make their case with administrators for the importance of SSR in every classroom.

Building Student Literacy Through Sustained Silent Reading by English and journalism teacher Steve Gardiner is a guide to improving students' reading ability through a process based on a simple key idea: let students choose what they read and give them time to read it. Giving students 15 minutes of uninterrupted reading time each day can help them discovery their own abilities and passion for reading. Gardner gives an account of his personal experiences with the Sustained Silent Reading program, exploring SSR's effects on various dimensions of literacy including reading and writing proficiency, vocabulary, spelling skills, and content comprehension. Summaries of current research, shared feedback with fellow teachers, and suggestions for adapting SSR to the unique needs of different classes round out this valuable addition to educators' reference shelves. Highly recommended for K-12 classroom teachers and special education reading skills instructors.