Librarians Provide Strongest Support for Sustained Silent Reading

Many schools have placed increased emphasis on literacy skills. Many state and federal programs require schools to demonstrate increased rates of literacy or improved tests scores based on literacy skills. And for many students, the fastest and most efficient method to achieve improved literacy skills is through Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). It is only logical that if students are enjoying reading, are taking pride in finishing books, are sharing those books with friends, and are spending more of their own free time involved in reading, their literacy skills and corresponding test scores will increase. Students who spend time silent reading regularly learn how the language is used and become comfortable with language issues. They learn to know intuitively whether words are spelled correctly, whether grammatical expressions are used appropriately, and whether meaning is evident in their own writing and reading. This article describes how librarians at Billings (Montana) Senior High School provide support for SSR. (Contains 10 resources.)