Thoughts From Teacher Candidates
I spoke with an assortment of teacher candidates from various backgrounds when conducting this inquiry. I was surprised by the strong opinions that people seemed to hold about SSR. Most TCs believed that SSR programs do have value. One teacher candidate argued against SSR for the lack of time - when students start to get into what they are reading, they are required to stop. Another teacher candidate - in the field of Social Studies - felt that he/she would not implement SSR if not required to do so, as it would take time away from the curriculum and would not be valuable for the classroom. Here, I would like to present, anonymously and mostly for interest, some of the ideas and opinions that my colleagues have about sustained silent reading.
"The usefulness of silent reading is dependent on how the school/teacher chooses to use this time. Some teachers tend to be relaxed about what students do during this time. Some may even engage students in a class discussion, which may detract from the intended learning outcomes for silent reading."
“Personally, I don’t see the need in restricting reading materials since my subject area tends to gather information from multiple sources. I will try my best to spend my time reading as well, as it may set an example for the students to hopefully follow. If I were to implement an activity, it may be an exit slip listing what students learned from their reading material. That would be attached to their participatory grade. I will also make sure that there are reading materials (most likely in my area) readily available for students to pick and choose from.”
“My answer would be that yes, I believe that sustained silent reading is very effective because it forces students to improve a skill that we take from granted and that is not used as much in society anymore. Kids today read so much with the invention of social media and advanced technology, but this reading provides little actual benefit. They learn to comprehend shorthand and create words that only a select few know. They have little to no actual experience comprehending any formal writing (books, newspaper, informative websites, etc). By instituting sustained silent reading, we are not only improving students skills in reading, but also improving their ability to form complete sentences, recognize proper grammar and punctuation and their writing techniques. Lastly, I believe that reading opens up a child’s ability to think creatively. It helps them form ideas in their minds and provides access to knowledge that would otherwise be looked over. The benefits of sustained silent reading in school are endless and it should be instituted in all schools because it teaches a fundamental principle that all schools should already be responsible to teach.”
“I would definitely restrict the materials to books or newspapers with content, no comics or horoscopes. As a teacher, I would choose to read to set an example for the class. If they have to read, then I will as well (plus I enjoy reading but rarely find the time to actually sit down and open a book.) I wouldn’t have them complete any kind of activity to ensure they are reading but I would monitor the class during the reading to ensure everyone is one task. This might include every so often walking around the class... I think sustained silent reading should begin at the start of the school day. I experienced sustained silent reading in the middle of the school day during high school and I felt that it just wasn’t a good idea to do it in between subjects. I wanted time to read before I started school. If it was at the end of the day, I would just be too mentally exhausted to want to open a book. Plus, having it in the start of the day might help to get students in the mood for learning. As for how long, my SSR was twenty minutes and I thoroughly disliked how short it was. I felt like I would start reading and get into what I was reading and then the time would be over. I would say 30 minutes at least. Perhaps the school day would need to be longer but I think it would be worthwhile to dedicate a good half hour to reading and by having it in the beginning it shouldn’t interfere with jumping between subjects. Lastly, I think it should be done everyday for the sole purpose that reading is such a valuable tool that all students should possess.”
“It is effective because for many students, they do not have an opportunity to read at home or outside of school. While reading does not appeal to everyone, it should be encouraged and presented in a way that makes students enjoy reading.”
“I would definitely read with my students. I would not require them to produce anything formal, but will put up a class picks list and get students to review or critique books that they are reading. I will make suggestions and I will not limit their choice… I have had to accept all manner of toilet humour and graphic novels, but I encourage it because it means they are reading.
“I went to a school in which we were allotted time for silent reading every day for 20 minutes after recess. I am an avid reader so I enjoyed silent reading period. I do believe it is effective if the teachers are firm about implementing it. I feel that the students who need language assistance benefit the most from sustained silent reading because they are given times to practice their language skills. It also benefits every student, in general, by allowing them to gain more knowledge from the books they are reading.”
“In my opinion, I feel that the main objectives of silent reading are to have the students gain more knowledge from other sources besides textbooks and to help students improve their reading ability. To meet these objectives, I would not allow the students to read graphic novels, comics, or textbooks. Graphic novels and comics have very few words, so I feel that they would not help improve their reading skills and textbooks are materials that they read every day, so it would defeat the purpose of silent reading.”
“I do believe that sustained silent reading is effective, so long as the time is used productively (i.e. no talking amongst students; possibly some music playing) and that the material that the students bring to class is challenging to them. For example, during my short practicum I observed an English 10 PDP (pre-IB) class where the teacher was a strong supporter of sustained silent reading. However, he required that the students bring “intellectually challenging” material to the class. If they did not bring such material, then they were required to go to the school library to loan out a more appropriate book. As a result, many of the students I saw were reading a wide array of literature, ranging from classical literature to non-fiction to biographies.”
“Similar to the teacher that I observed during my short practicum, I do believe that I am going to implement a sustained silent reading period where I require students to bring material that will challenge them in some way. While I will discourage students from bringing in newspapers and/or magazines and comics, I will certainly be open to students bringing in graphic novels. In general, I want to encourage my students to use sustained silent reading as a means of expanding their minds, ideas and imaginations in whatever literary form they choose.
"Though I want to give an absolute “yes” to the idea that I will be reading alongside my students at the same time as they are reading, I also know that there will be times where this is just not feasible and that I will need to use that time for administrative classroom tasks. However, when other tasks are not immediately urgent, I will certainly take time to take out a novel and read with my students. I will even attempt to engage in some of the literature that my students are reading themselves."
"I am not sure if I would require the students to complete some kind of activity afterwards to ensure that they were actually reading, as I don’t see the purpose of sustained silent reading as being something that you assess. However, I would possibly use motivators such as a reward at the end of the year for the student(s) who read the most books. This reward would be a gift card to Chapters for a set amount, in hopes that this will encourage them to continue reading over the summer break.”
“Sustained silent reading – what comes to mind is “do you mean in secondary school?” because for elementary, the answer that comes to mind right away is YES but for secondary, NO. Although I never personally needed it as an avid reading, I know students that struggled through chapter books and probably really needed the time to improve their reading comprehension in elementary. Would I put silent reading in my social studies classroom? Not as an “effective” tool, no. Only during a lesson where I planned on individual reading/research time. I think it’s something which should be done, ideally, curled up in a comfortable armchair in a peaceful place – that’s never been school to me. (Just look at the chairs, for instance.) School libraries are a haven, the right environment for reading, but my classroom, probably not. There is just too much action in social studies, whether it’s a contentious social justice debate, rigorous historical study, paper editing, or geographical survey. I think silent reading is most effective when left to individuals to decide on a comfortable place, if not in conjunction with a comfortable time. For something like history/geography related, sustained reading isn’t so much an issue as trying to sift through copious piles of information. It’s a bit like journalism – trying to uncover the story from different angles; so, sustained reading only fits if you get a monograph or topic that you are looking at and are really interested in. Otherwise, I would encourage people to read for less time at a higher difficulty level or as an intro to a new topic. I think the most sustained reading I’ve done in my undergrad is longer articles and a couple chapters from a special topics class."
"I can’t recall having to read for a sustained period of time as a key skill to becoming a historian. I would do it for an in-depth study of literature, like Tacitus in Roman times, but at the introductory level, a lot of reading is required, but it does not have to be sustained necessarily. Have you ever gone into Wikipedia and gotten stuck in a chain of short readings? French Revolution à Napoleon à Fascism à Guernica (Picasso). You might have sustained reading over an hour, but have a short attention span on topical reading. That is one big effect I think that the internet is having on sustained reading, the ability to change topics rapidly. This is a huge bonus for historians looking for connections.”
“I think [SSR] is [valuable]. At least when I was a student, I didn’t read, but being forced to read in class when they implemented the system – I think I was in grade 12 – actually was a huge excitement for me. I got to read whatever I wanted!!! So, I actually started really enjoying reading. I didn’t really want to read in my own time. It was good and it worked for me.”
“I would really give students any options. No limits, as long as it is, in fact, reading. Graphic novels count as reading to me. And I would read with the students, assuming I wasn’t under a huge time pressure to complete something. I did read with them during my short practicum.”
“In my experience, no. As a student, I was seldom asked to engage in silent reading. As a teacher, I have seen it implemented in several different ways, but each hardly strays from the traditional structure. For example, in my practicum school, sustained silent reading is referred to as “engaged reading.” This is considered to be a separate block, 30 minutes long, after lunch and before the start of the last block. Many students forget to bring a book, or grab a new book off of the bookshelf each day, giving themselves away that they are not at all interested in getting engaged in reading. I think this traditional structure of sustained silent reading, where students are asked to read for an extended period of time in isolation from any discussion or further interaction with the text/material not only lets students off the hook but also creates a disconnect from the actual practice of reading and discovering the value of that practice.”
“Silent reading has so much potential to be a brilliant and productive practice; however, I don’t think it should occur as an isolated practice. First of all, I think it should be open for students to read whatever they like: should that be comics or the newspaper or articles on reddit, whatever! The point is to encourage students to not only see the value of reading, but to understand that reading can actually be enjoyable. I would like to stress that this can and should include books written in a students’ native language (for EAL and ELL students). EAL students are working on decoding all day long, and silent reading should be a time for enjoyment and relaxation; it should not put students under further stress. Second, I like the idea of having sustained silent reading on a regular basis because it creates a sense of routine, as well as a commitment to the practice. However, instead of having 30 minutes of straight reading, I would encourage students to read for 20 minutes, and then have the students engage in an open class discussion about their novel for the remainder of the reading period. This way, you are ensuring students are actually reading. However, as an added bonus, you are allowing students to share something that they are personally interested in or excited about, and can use this as a means to get to know your students better. You can share the things that you are reading also! Furthermore, you may have the opportunity to use the students’ reading material as a jumping off point to discuss deeper social issues or more simply as a means to connect to class content/concepts/subject material.”
“The reason I do not believe that silent reading in school is effective is because the time allocated to it is simply much too short. Fifteen to twenty minutes will allow you to begin to immerse yourself in the text and just as that happens you are expected to stop reading and continue on with class.”
“My school does mandate silent reading however, so I guess I would just let them read whatever they want. I would give them the choice of choosing their own material, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, manga, magazines, etc. As such, I would do my own reading and leave them with theirs as well. I wouldn’t have a follow-up assignment for them but I would take the time to ask them what they are reading and whether or not they are enjoying it and for what reasons; pick their mind a little, if you will.”
"I do believe in sustained silent reading, because I think it provides an opportunity for students to develop the habit of taking some time to read for pleasure. I realize that it seems counterintuitive to force someone to do something that is meant for pleasure, but nowadays, when we have the internet at our fingers, it seems difficult to find time to read a good book. To actually set aside a fixed period of time for that exact purpose provides an opportunity to rediscover the joy of cracking open a good book and actually working through it."
"In terms of implementation, I'd allow students to read anything, as everyone's interest varies, so long as it can be sustained over the period of time allotted for the activity, and so long as it has been deemed a form of literature. Reading friends' text messages is where I would draw the line, but I would permit students to bring in kobo readers, or to read on their iPhones, as long as they could justify what they are reading, to me. I would ensure that I read with them, because the whole point of the exercise is to encourage students to read, and it would be hypocritical for me to use that time to work on something else. It's important for a teacher to model the behaviour that is expected of her students in a situation like this. I think it'd be a great idea for the students to submit a short paragraph about what they've read, both as an opportunity for them to translate knowledge in their own minds, but also for me to ensure that they are completing the task at hand."
“Personally, I don’t see the need in restricting reading materials since my subject area tends to gather information from multiple sources. I will try my best to spend my time reading as well, as it may set an example for the students to hopefully follow. If I were to implement an activity, it may be an exit slip listing what students learned from their reading material. That would be attached to their participatory grade. I will also make sure that there are reading materials (most likely in my area) readily available for students to pick and choose from.”
“My answer would be that yes, I believe that sustained silent reading is very effective because it forces students to improve a skill that we take from granted and that is not used as much in society anymore. Kids today read so much with the invention of social media and advanced technology, but this reading provides little actual benefit. They learn to comprehend shorthand and create words that only a select few know. They have little to no actual experience comprehending any formal writing (books, newspaper, informative websites, etc). By instituting sustained silent reading, we are not only improving students skills in reading, but also improving their ability to form complete sentences, recognize proper grammar and punctuation and their writing techniques. Lastly, I believe that reading opens up a child’s ability to think creatively. It helps them form ideas in their minds and provides access to knowledge that would otherwise be looked over. The benefits of sustained silent reading in school are endless and it should be instituted in all schools because it teaches a fundamental principle that all schools should already be responsible to teach.”
“I would definitely restrict the materials to books or newspapers with content, no comics or horoscopes. As a teacher, I would choose to read to set an example for the class. If they have to read, then I will as well (plus I enjoy reading but rarely find the time to actually sit down and open a book.) I wouldn’t have them complete any kind of activity to ensure they are reading but I would monitor the class during the reading to ensure everyone is one task. This might include every so often walking around the class... I think sustained silent reading should begin at the start of the school day. I experienced sustained silent reading in the middle of the school day during high school and I felt that it just wasn’t a good idea to do it in between subjects. I wanted time to read before I started school. If it was at the end of the day, I would just be too mentally exhausted to want to open a book. Plus, having it in the start of the day might help to get students in the mood for learning. As for how long, my SSR was twenty minutes and I thoroughly disliked how short it was. I felt like I would start reading and get into what I was reading and then the time would be over. I would say 30 minutes at least. Perhaps the school day would need to be longer but I think it would be worthwhile to dedicate a good half hour to reading and by having it in the beginning it shouldn’t interfere with jumping between subjects. Lastly, I think it should be done everyday for the sole purpose that reading is such a valuable tool that all students should possess.”
“It is effective because for many students, they do not have an opportunity to read at home or outside of school. While reading does not appeal to everyone, it should be encouraged and presented in a way that makes students enjoy reading.”
“I would definitely read with my students. I would not require them to produce anything formal, but will put up a class picks list and get students to review or critique books that they are reading. I will make suggestions and I will not limit their choice… I have had to accept all manner of toilet humour and graphic novels, but I encourage it because it means they are reading.
“I went to a school in which we were allotted time for silent reading every day for 20 minutes after recess. I am an avid reader so I enjoyed silent reading period. I do believe it is effective if the teachers are firm about implementing it. I feel that the students who need language assistance benefit the most from sustained silent reading because they are given times to practice their language skills. It also benefits every student, in general, by allowing them to gain more knowledge from the books they are reading.”
“In my opinion, I feel that the main objectives of silent reading are to have the students gain more knowledge from other sources besides textbooks and to help students improve their reading ability. To meet these objectives, I would not allow the students to read graphic novels, comics, or textbooks. Graphic novels and comics have very few words, so I feel that they would not help improve their reading skills and textbooks are materials that they read every day, so it would defeat the purpose of silent reading.”
“I do believe that sustained silent reading is effective, so long as the time is used productively (i.e. no talking amongst students; possibly some music playing) and that the material that the students bring to class is challenging to them. For example, during my short practicum I observed an English 10 PDP (pre-IB) class where the teacher was a strong supporter of sustained silent reading. However, he required that the students bring “intellectually challenging” material to the class. If they did not bring such material, then they were required to go to the school library to loan out a more appropriate book. As a result, many of the students I saw were reading a wide array of literature, ranging from classical literature to non-fiction to biographies.”
“Similar to the teacher that I observed during my short practicum, I do believe that I am going to implement a sustained silent reading period where I require students to bring material that will challenge them in some way. While I will discourage students from bringing in newspapers and/or magazines and comics, I will certainly be open to students bringing in graphic novels. In general, I want to encourage my students to use sustained silent reading as a means of expanding their minds, ideas and imaginations in whatever literary form they choose.
"Though I want to give an absolute “yes” to the idea that I will be reading alongside my students at the same time as they are reading, I also know that there will be times where this is just not feasible and that I will need to use that time for administrative classroom tasks. However, when other tasks are not immediately urgent, I will certainly take time to take out a novel and read with my students. I will even attempt to engage in some of the literature that my students are reading themselves."
"I am not sure if I would require the students to complete some kind of activity afterwards to ensure that they were actually reading, as I don’t see the purpose of sustained silent reading as being something that you assess. However, I would possibly use motivators such as a reward at the end of the year for the student(s) who read the most books. This reward would be a gift card to Chapters for a set amount, in hopes that this will encourage them to continue reading over the summer break.”
“Sustained silent reading – what comes to mind is “do you mean in secondary school?” because for elementary, the answer that comes to mind right away is YES but for secondary, NO. Although I never personally needed it as an avid reading, I know students that struggled through chapter books and probably really needed the time to improve their reading comprehension in elementary. Would I put silent reading in my social studies classroom? Not as an “effective” tool, no. Only during a lesson where I planned on individual reading/research time. I think it’s something which should be done, ideally, curled up in a comfortable armchair in a peaceful place – that’s never been school to me. (Just look at the chairs, for instance.) School libraries are a haven, the right environment for reading, but my classroom, probably not. There is just too much action in social studies, whether it’s a contentious social justice debate, rigorous historical study, paper editing, or geographical survey. I think silent reading is most effective when left to individuals to decide on a comfortable place, if not in conjunction with a comfortable time. For something like history/geography related, sustained reading isn’t so much an issue as trying to sift through copious piles of information. It’s a bit like journalism – trying to uncover the story from different angles; so, sustained reading only fits if you get a monograph or topic that you are looking at and are really interested in. Otherwise, I would encourage people to read for less time at a higher difficulty level or as an intro to a new topic. I think the most sustained reading I’ve done in my undergrad is longer articles and a couple chapters from a special topics class."
"I can’t recall having to read for a sustained period of time as a key skill to becoming a historian. I would do it for an in-depth study of literature, like Tacitus in Roman times, but at the introductory level, a lot of reading is required, but it does not have to be sustained necessarily. Have you ever gone into Wikipedia and gotten stuck in a chain of short readings? French Revolution à Napoleon à Fascism à Guernica (Picasso). You might have sustained reading over an hour, but have a short attention span on topical reading. That is one big effect I think that the internet is having on sustained reading, the ability to change topics rapidly. This is a huge bonus for historians looking for connections.”
“I think [SSR] is [valuable]. At least when I was a student, I didn’t read, but being forced to read in class when they implemented the system – I think I was in grade 12 – actually was a huge excitement for me. I got to read whatever I wanted!!! So, I actually started really enjoying reading. I didn’t really want to read in my own time. It was good and it worked for me.”
“I would really give students any options. No limits, as long as it is, in fact, reading. Graphic novels count as reading to me. And I would read with the students, assuming I wasn’t under a huge time pressure to complete something. I did read with them during my short practicum.”
“In my experience, no. As a student, I was seldom asked to engage in silent reading. As a teacher, I have seen it implemented in several different ways, but each hardly strays from the traditional structure. For example, in my practicum school, sustained silent reading is referred to as “engaged reading.” This is considered to be a separate block, 30 minutes long, after lunch and before the start of the last block. Many students forget to bring a book, or grab a new book off of the bookshelf each day, giving themselves away that they are not at all interested in getting engaged in reading. I think this traditional structure of sustained silent reading, where students are asked to read for an extended period of time in isolation from any discussion or further interaction with the text/material not only lets students off the hook but also creates a disconnect from the actual practice of reading and discovering the value of that practice.”
“Silent reading has so much potential to be a brilliant and productive practice; however, I don’t think it should occur as an isolated practice. First of all, I think it should be open for students to read whatever they like: should that be comics or the newspaper or articles on reddit, whatever! The point is to encourage students to not only see the value of reading, but to understand that reading can actually be enjoyable. I would like to stress that this can and should include books written in a students’ native language (for EAL and ELL students). EAL students are working on decoding all day long, and silent reading should be a time for enjoyment and relaxation; it should not put students under further stress. Second, I like the idea of having sustained silent reading on a regular basis because it creates a sense of routine, as well as a commitment to the practice. However, instead of having 30 minutes of straight reading, I would encourage students to read for 20 minutes, and then have the students engage in an open class discussion about their novel for the remainder of the reading period. This way, you are ensuring students are actually reading. However, as an added bonus, you are allowing students to share something that they are personally interested in or excited about, and can use this as a means to get to know your students better. You can share the things that you are reading also! Furthermore, you may have the opportunity to use the students’ reading material as a jumping off point to discuss deeper social issues or more simply as a means to connect to class content/concepts/subject material.”
“The reason I do not believe that silent reading in school is effective is because the time allocated to it is simply much too short. Fifteen to twenty minutes will allow you to begin to immerse yourself in the text and just as that happens you are expected to stop reading and continue on with class.”
“My school does mandate silent reading however, so I guess I would just let them read whatever they want. I would give them the choice of choosing their own material, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, manga, magazines, etc. As such, I would do my own reading and leave them with theirs as well. I wouldn’t have a follow-up assignment for them but I would take the time to ask them what they are reading and whether or not they are enjoying it and for what reasons; pick their mind a little, if you will.”
"I do believe in sustained silent reading, because I think it provides an opportunity for students to develop the habit of taking some time to read for pleasure. I realize that it seems counterintuitive to force someone to do something that is meant for pleasure, but nowadays, when we have the internet at our fingers, it seems difficult to find time to read a good book. To actually set aside a fixed period of time for that exact purpose provides an opportunity to rediscover the joy of cracking open a good book and actually working through it."
"In terms of implementation, I'd allow students to read anything, as everyone's interest varies, so long as it can be sustained over the period of time allotted for the activity, and so long as it has been deemed a form of literature. Reading friends' text messages is where I would draw the line, but I would permit students to bring in kobo readers, or to read on their iPhones, as long as they could justify what they are reading, to me. I would ensure that I read with them, because the whole point of the exercise is to encourage students to read, and it would be hypocritical for me to use that time to work on something else. It's important for a teacher to model the behaviour that is expected of her students in a situation like this. I think it'd be a great idea for the students to submit a short paragraph about what they've read, both as an opportunity for them to translate knowledge in their own minds, but also for me to ensure that they are completing the task at hand."