Sustained Silent Reading:

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Sustained Silent Reading

• BUILDING SUCCESSFUL READERS

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SSR Defined

• Students read whatever they like.
• Short time-span,15 to 20 minutes,
• Every day during school

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Goals and Benefits of SSRLight reading can be a
powerful conduit to more difficult reading (Cho
and Krashen, 1994)

• Increase student reading proficiency
• Comprehension
• Build a belief in self as a better reader
• Achievement
• Improve student motivation to read
• Make reading for pleasure acceptable (secondary
  level)
• Increase outside (home) reading for pleasure
• Increase the range of resources for pleasure
  reading
• Develop lifelong love of reading
• Facilitate overall language development
• Oral
• Written

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Research Base

• In-school free reading programs show outstanding
  results in promoting the development of reading
  comprehension (Krashen, 1998)

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Research Base

• In a study of 27 countries, there was a steady
  upward trend in achievement in school populations
  which engaged in the greatest amount of free
  voluntary reading. (Elley, 1992)

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Research Base

• Research in vocabulary development supports
  reading books over direct instruction. (Anderson,
  1996 Krashen, 1993 Nagy and Herman, 1987)

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Research Base

• In a longitudinal study, students who
  participated in a free reading program were
  reading more booksup to 6 years later- compared
  with students from a comparison school in which
  no program was offered. (Greaney and Clark 1975)

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Research Base

• After reviewing 32 studies, Pilgreen (2000)
  concluded that SSR provided the same or better
  benefits for students, in the area of
  comprehension and motivation, as traditional
  skills classes.

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8 Factors for SSR SuccessThe SSR Handbook by
Janice L. Pilgreen

• Access to books
• Book Appeal
• Conducive
• environment
• Encouragement to
• read

• Non-accountability
• Distributed time to
• read
• Staff training
• Follow-up activities

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1. Access to Books

• Trade books, magazines, comics, newspapers etc.
• Materials are provided directly to students
• Develop classroom libraries (grants, PTA, garage
  sales, book clubs, book fairs)
• Rotate materials
• Book Exchanges/Trades
• Regularly scheduled trips to libraries (school
  community)
• Interlibrary loans
• Students not required to bring something from
  home to read (MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM!)

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2. Book Appeal

• Offer materials that are interesting
• Use an Interest Inventory with students
• Use teen book lists
• Variety of genres
• Include read-along books and tapes
• Self-selection is crucial in order to develop a
  sense of ownership and purpose
• Offer a range of readability levels
• Display materials attractively
• When asked, help a student find a good book match

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3. Conducive Environment

• Provide a quiet, uninterrupted environment
• Seating that is not cramped
• Homey furnishings may add to the appeal but are
  not required.
• Posters, pictures
• Rugs, pillows, lighting, comfort seating, plants
• Play soft music (only if accepted by everyone)
• After silent reading students may be given time
  to share their reading informally with friends

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4. Encouragement to Read

• Share the research findings with studentsits
  good news
• Adult modeling of reading
• Share personal habits of reading
• Move from desk and sit with students as you read
• Share books that you are reading
• Need all staff support to encourage students to
  engage in free reading
• Special time with teacher after SSR to discuss
  the materials read
• Teacher read-aloud after SSR followed by sharing
  and discussion
• SSR followed by sharing good parts with friends
• Parent involvement
• Input in development of the SSR program
• Suggested ideas to support at-home reading

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5. Staff Training

• Develop roles as active facilitators in helping
  students connect with books
• Present current literature on benefits of SSR
• Establish practical guidelines
• Teach strategies for linking students with books
• Highlight importance of all adults buying into
  concept of free reading
• Provide support and opportunity to work together
  to build the program

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6. Non-Accountabilty

• Provide a non-evaluative atmosphere
• No requirements related to productive tasks or
  follow-up language work
• Students allowed to stop reading a book if they
  find it uninteresting and encouraged to pick up
  another one.
• Emphasis is on the pleasure of reading

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7. Follow-up Activities

• Goal is to sustain student excitement about books
  they are reading in a non-evaluative setting
• Peer discussions, literacy circles,
• Book sharing, peer read-alouds
• Might need to develop a waiting list
• Sell book choices to others
• News anchor
• Design book covers
• Use art, music, science, role-playing

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8. Distributed Time to Read

• Give between 15 30 minutes of reading time
• Minimum of twice a week
• Goal is for free reading to become a habit

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Liberty Middle School SSR
Program

• Principal is leading and supporting the program
• SSR is part of our SIP Read Writing across
  the curriculum
• SSR is part of weekly communication
• All teachers are taking ownership
• Mornings begin with 15 20 minutes of SSR
  (except Fridays).

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Teacher and Program Support

• SSR was introduced during 1st faculty meeting
  with a book preview share activity
• Principal read an excerpt from a book and then
  shared with faculty the impact of the book
• Book Pass activity
• Quick Review of research and philosophy of SSR
• Supply teachers with what they need to implement
  program
• Handout
• Suggesting methods for building a classroom
  library
• Listing school resources available (librarian
  library, PTA, parents)
• Listing local resources available (libraries,
  bookstores)
• Copies of reading logs teachers choice

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Teacher and Program Support

• Displays
• Classrooms
• Hallways
• Communications
• Weekly SSR tip
• Special SSR news circulation stats
• SSR Emails from principal
• News articles in local paper
• Book Corner articles teachers write about book
  they are reading
• Board presentations

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Effects of SSRas seen in the Library

• Greater circulation
• Fewer over-dues
• Students requesting help finding another good
  book
• Running out of books for certain students
• More interlibrary loans
• Greater use of community library-students signing
  up for library cards

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Comments by Students Teachers

• I dont know what this book by Brian Jacques is
  about, but all my friends in class cant seem to
  put it down. So Im going to read it and find
  out why. (student)
• 1 month later Now I know why my friends read
  these books. Im on my third one. (student)
• Im not a reader, but I have to admit that Ive
  already read 4 books this semester. And whats
  even more amazing is that I have a book on my
  Christmas List! (Teacher)

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Resources

• The SSR Handbook How to Organize and Manage a
  Sustained Silent Reading Program by Janice L.
  Pilgreen
• Are They Really Reading? Expanding SSR in the
  Middle Grades by Jodi Crum Marshall
• Susan Martin smartin_at_liberty.k12.mo.us

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Book Pass Activity

• 5 to 10 books displayed on table
• Look at jacket, title, author
• Read book flap information
• Read two or three pages
• Pass the book on
• Continue

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Displays
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Displays
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LMC Circulation Statistics

•  
• 2002-2003                 2003-2004
• LMS SV LM
• (1300 students) (700 students)
•  
• September 1374 1497
•  
• October 1562 1296
•  
• November 1274 1156
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• December 973 997