Sustained silent reading (SSR) is a form of school-based recreational reading, or free voluntary reading , where students read silently in a designated time period every day in school . An underlying assumption of SSR is that students learn to read by reading a lot. Successful models of SSR typically allow students to select their own books and require neither testing for comprehension nor book reports.
SSR has been shown to lead to many gains in reading achievement:
- Improved vocabulary
- Improved reading levels
- Improved comprehension
In addition, students who have been in SSR programs have been shown to have significant positive shifts in attitude towards reading, including reading more during the summer than students who did not have SSR programs.
Successful SSR programs include:
- Teacher as a role model (i.e. the teacher reads silently during the same time period and tells the students why she selected the books, etc.)
- A long term project (SSR implemented in 5 months or less, for example, has not shown the same positive benefits).
- Availability of materials on a wide range of topics and readability (especially if they are in the classroom itself, not just in the library. Also, it helps if there is a constant flow of new books).
- Ownership and communities of readers (or, students selecting their own books; sharing their experiences with others; creating ecurriculum to facilitate sharing; etc.)
- Other Factors (Creating a quiet, relaxing and nonevaluative classroom environment is also a key element for successful SSR)
(Above is summary of Evaluating Sustained Silent Reading in Reading Classes. Chow, Ping-Ha and Po Leung Kuk Lee Shing of Pik College (Hong-Kong, China)], and Chou, Chi-Ting of Deh-Yu College of Nursing and Management (Taiwan). http://iteslj.org/Articles/Chow-SSR.html)
Despite over 30 years of research that supports the value of SSR, the National Reading Panel(NRP), under the Bush administration has challenged it as a practice.
For a reading list on SSR, including links to the debate with NRP, see http://calprointeractive.blogspot.com/2005/01/on-line-resources-related-to-sustained.html
