Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) is a component of many school-reading programs and has been widely used in the classroom for almost 40 years. The implementation of SSR varies to a large degree and research has been mixed regarding it effectiveness in relation to reading attitude and reading comprehension. Lyman C. Hunt, Jr. from the University of Vermont originally introduced the idea of Sustained Silent Reading in the early 1960’s. It gained popularity in the 1970’s with the guidelines provided by reading experts Robert and Marlene McCracken (Pilgreen, 2000; Trelease, 2001). National attention was given to SSR when Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading was published in 1985. The focus of the study was to examine the difficulties American students were having in the area of reading (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985). The report also stated the act of reading for pleasure is the best predictor of reading comprehension growth of vocabulary and reading achievement gains in elementary age students (p. 77-78). Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) goes by a variety names, including DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), DIRT (Daily Individual Reading Time), and FVR (Free Voluntary Reading). Regardless of the term used, the purpose of the reading period has remained relatively constant: “to develop each student’s ability to read silently without interruption for a long period of time” (McCracken, 1971, p. 521). Essentially, SSR involves allocating a special time, usually every day, dedicated to uninterrupted, independent, silent reading of material of the readers’ choosing, according to his or her interests. A vital element of SSR is self-selection, or the opportunity for students to choose what they ... ... middle of paper ... ...coming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading. Champaign: University of Illinois. Retrieved May 26, 2011, from ERIC at http://www.eric.ed.gov/ PDFS/ED253865.pdf Nagy, Nancy M., Campenni, C. Estelle, Shaw, Janet N. (2000) A Survey of Sustained Silent Reading Practices in Seventh-Grade Classrooms. International Reading Association, Inc. Retrieved May 24, 2011, Reading Online at http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_ index.asp?HREF=nagy/index.html Methe, Scott A., Hintze, John M. (2003). Evaluating Teacher Modeling as a Strategy to Increase Student Reading Behavior. School Psychology Review, vol. 32, no 4, pp. 617-623. Pilgreen, J. L. (2000). The SSR handbook: How to organize and manage a sustained silent reading program. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers. Trelease, J. (2001). The Read-Aloud Handbook. New York: Penguin Books.
In the essay titled “How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading” written by John Holt and published in Reading for writers in 2013, Mr. Holt discusses why most children aren’t interested in reading. Mr. Holt spent fourteen years as an elementary school teacher. He believed classroom activities destroy a student’s learning ability. Mr. Holt never let his students say what they thought about a book. He wanted his students to look up every word they didn’t know. People can learn difficult words without looking them up in the dictionary.
Reading is on the decline and our reading skills are declining right along with the amount of reading we do. This is happening right across the board through both genders, all age groups and education levels, people are busy and they just do not have time to read books that they are not required to read for school or work. There are serious consequences to this neglect of reading that will continue to worsen if ignored. We need to take notice of what is happening to our culture and stop this situation from continuing, we must act to correct these issues that we are faced with. These things are discussed in the essay “Staying Awake’’ by Ursula K. Le Guin who uses the NEA essays “To Read or Not to Read’’ and “Reading at Risk’’ to support her argument that there is a decline in the amount of time that we are spending on reading and our ability to understand what it is that we are reading.
Besharov, Douglas. "Teachers Performance: A Review ." Journal of Policy Analyis and Management (2006): 1-41.
Olson, M. W., & Gee, T. C. (1991). Content reading instruction in the primary grades: perceptions and strategies. The Reading Teacher, 45(4), 298- 307. Retrieved from
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over a person who can’t read.” -Mark Twain. Reading is an absolute gift, but many people don’t view it that way. What people don’t understand is that reading is the key to opening doors to imagination and intelligence, but one thing that presents even more benefits than reading in their heads, is reading out loud. Reading out loud allows people to expand imagination, vocabulary, and develop intelligence, particularly in younger children, but even in teens and young adults. Reading out loud presents numerous benefits for people of all ages, giving them a jump-start on their mental development, and giving them the ability and opportunity to express themselves.
Reading is believed by some academia to be the most important activity that a student could do to go ahead in academic pursuit. Some research claimed that many people take reading for granted in their developmental stage. Due to this fact, few learners cannot read properly because they claim they do not enjoy reading. In my observation, not only is effective reading important but to read with comprehension (recall of read text) and for pleasure. The constant engagement with reading for pleasure might sensitize the desire to read.
Since the reading movements of the 1980’s and 1990’s, many different theoretical perspectives on teaching reading have been proposed. This paper will examine and discuss major themes, issues, and influences derived from theoretical perspectives on reading instruction that have been proposed since the 1980’s. This paper will also examine four articles related to themes and issues taken from the State University library about reading instruction. The author will relay these articles from the library; to current classroom and personal experiences.
National Reading Panel. Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and its Implications for Reading Instruction.NIH Publication No. 00-4769. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. (2000).Print.
Motivation plays an important part in most areas of life, including education. It is especially essential in the area of reading. Classrooms are filled with students who never want to read and others who have a book tucked underneath their arms at all times. It is the goal of all educators to encourage those avid and reluctant readers alike to engage in reading activities at school and at home. The engaged reader is motivated, knowledgeable, strategic, and socially interactive (Gambrell, 1996).
Before I began elementary school I was amazed with the idea of reading. So much so, that I would memorize books. My mother always read aloud to me. She did this daily, to the point that I was able to memorize the story page for page. I had a love for books, which never left. Reading a book would take me to a whole new world, all while rocking in the living room rocking chair. However, my love for reading took a back seat. When I began elementary school we moved and I struggled as a reader until my middle school years. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this is where my philosophy for teaching reading began.
Abstract-Reading is a lifelong skill to be used both at school and throughout life. According to Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, reading is a basic life skill. It is a cornerstone for a child's success in school and, indeed, throughout life. Despite its importance, reading is one of the most challenging areas in the education system.Researchers have found that teaching reading strategies is a key element in developing student comprehension and ensuring academic success. However, schools and teachers sometimes lack a solid foundation for teaching these strategies. Schools should be better prepared on how to design effective reading strategies and how to teach these to their students. This project aims to study the most effective reading
readers: A perspective for research and intervention ―[Electronic version]. Scientific Studies of Reading, 11(4), 289-312.
Failure to achieve adequate reading proficiency denies students access to the essential tool for further learning (Koda and Zehler, 2008, p. 1). Although reading and listening are often referred to as ‘passive’ or receptive skills, in reality both involve complex mental processing in order for the listener to make sense of material (Hurd and Murphy, 2005, p. 80). Reading is a complex process that must be modelled, taught, practiced, and evaluated on daily basic (Stone, 2009, p.
Monitoring comprehension is the way that effective readers are able to self-regulate their progress while reading (Baker and Beall, n.d.). One effective way of monitoring one’s thoughts while reading is through a process called think-aloud (Duke and Pearson, 2002). Talking is the way that humans communicate their thinking; which makes talking a very important aspect of thinking. Using think-aloud strategies, students must talk in a purposeful manner using academic language (Fisher, Frey and Rothenberg, 2008). The think-aloud process aims to make readers aware of their inner voices while reading so that they can make themselves aware when their attention has strayed from the text (Harvey and Goudvis, 2007). In order to become strategic, reflective readers, student must learn to think about reading while they are reading (Harvey and Goudvis,
Reading is widely labeled as a very important factor to reach fruition in education. The rising question is whether we should encourage our children to read whatever appeals to them. Personally, I firmly believe the good impact of reading to the children’s taste.