Building Student Literacy Through Sustained Silent Reading

Building Student Literacy Through Sustained Silent Reading offers a practical solution for teachers who want to improve students’ reading ability: Let students choose what they read and give them the time to read it.

For 27 years, teacher Steve Gardiner has used the sustained silent reading (SSR) program in his English classes to help students of all abilities and backgrounds improve their literacy. With lively anecdotes and refreshing candor, Gardiner shares his experiences--the obstacles he faced and the successes he achieved--to show how reading 15 minutes each class period can help students discover their own abilities and develop enduring reading habits.

Gardiner also explores research both for and against SSR as well as reactions from other teachers, students, and administrators to examine the program’s effect on literacy--from reading proficiency to vocabulary and spelling skills, from content comprehension to writing. He demonstrates how teachers can adapt SSR for their classes’ unique needs without interfering with mandated curriculum or lesson plans.

In an environment where reading is an essential part of all subjects, Building Student Literacy Through Sustained Silent Reading shows how a simple and inexpensive program can not only help students achieve greater success in school, but give them a precious, lifelong gift—the joy of reading.