Heather - I agree with you. I taught fifth graders this year and by the end, if they didn't see SSR time on the daily schedule, they were asking about it. One thing I did that found worked great, was one day a week, instead of conferencing with students, was brought my own book in to read - whatever I was reading at the time. This made such a difference in the reading atmosphere! I found the "fakers" to even seem to be enjoying reading on those days. They also loved to take a few minutes at the end of SSR time to talk about what they had read during the day and share with their classmates - they also took reccomendations and provided feedback - as some of you had suggested. I think that the teachers' love for reading needs to be reflected and will rub off on your students. I had several parents thank me this year for getting their child reading again and enjoying it. It was a great feeling!
On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 8:13 PM, Heather Green<[email protected]> wrote: > And I just wanted to add, maybe this is a lofty goal, especially at the > upper grades, but if students aren't reluctant to stop reading at the end of > ssr, or if they don't say "awwww man" when you say it's time to stop, > something is not going right with ssr. There are too many amazing books out > there for our students not to be enthralled in. > > On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 8:11 PM, Heather Green <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I think it has to be more than just SSR. SSR has to be the basis of your >> classroom. It has to created this undercurrent of a love of books and good >> stories. So just as important as silent reading time, I think is sharing >> time. I know I have read a lot of good books because people have >> recommended them to me. Plus, it's more fun to read a book that you know >> someone else has read so you can talk about it . So I think as part of SSR, >> students should be able to spotlight books, and you should as well. There >> are some great examples of these booktalks in the book Readicide, or is it >> The Reading Zone, I can't remember which one. >> >> On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 4:20 PM, Mark & Rachele' Thummel < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I have also thoroughly enjoyed the book group that I belong to and have >>> been thinking about it a lot as I get ready to approach my 9th grade English >>> class of girls. I have made great connections with women that I didn't know >>> very well, and it's been great for me to get away from home to talk with >>> intelligent women about all sorts of topics. I love thinking about reading >>> a new book each month. . . and I'd like to establish an environment where my >>> students (girls next year) WANT to come to "book group" to share and listen. >>> >>> Jan--thanks for the link to Gardiner . . . I'm going to definitely look >>> into that! I like the analogy of reading and running--as a runner myself, I >>> seriously suffer if I don't train on a daily level. I can't imagine running >>> 5 miles just once a week! So I can see the connection of establishing good >>> reading habits through consistent and daily reading. I just still struggle >>> with the concept of only having 40 minutes left to cover reading strategies, >>> vocabulary, and all the writing elements that are in my curriculum . . . . >>> I'm going to take the summer to think about this! Further ideas are >>> certainly helpful:) >>> -------------------------------------------------- >>> From: "Renee" <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 11:43 AM >>> >>> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" < >>> [email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Silent Sustained Reading >>> >>> I'm glad my points felt so awesome to you. And we are all going to want >>>> to see how this works out. :-) >>>> >>>> Here is a little more of my thinking: I belong to a book sharing group >>>> (which I started, and for which I was very selective on the people >>>> involved). There are about eight of us and we meet once a month. We all >>>> read >>>> whatever we want and then come together to just share what we've read, >>>> whatever it is. Name a genre and at least one of us has read and shared. >>>> What's interesting though, is that with all the sharing of what's in the >>>> books and our impressions, we have also branched out into discussions of >>>> politics, religion, local issues, specific authors, death, Alzheimer's >>>> (one >>>> person in our group lost a husband to this insidious disease and we all >>>> shared the grief from its onset to his passing a couple of years later), >>>> food, art, ..... in other words.... you name it. Boy, do we make >>>> connections! >>>> >>>> What I'm thinking is that the book sharing part..... voluntary >>>> sharing.... is so valuable and so complex and can teach so much. >>>> >>>> I was just thinking a while ago that some of the best teaching I've done >>>> was when I was not "teaching" at all. >>>> >>>> :-) >>>> Renee >>>> >>>> >>>> On Jul 1, 2009, at 9:06 AM, Mark & Rachele' Thummel wrote: >>>> >>>> Renee--You make several AWESOME points--thank you! I do need to change >>>>> my thinking on the whole silent reading approach and see it as an >>>>> advantage. I guess I get frustrated with teachers who I see using that >>>>> time to "get things done"--which is not what I have chosen to do with >>>>> that >>>>> time when I've given it in the past. Also, I just see so many of these >>>>> struggling readers lacking in basic comprehension skills, so I've decided >>>>> in the past to replace that "silent reading" time with a more structured >>>>> approach. Students are certainly doing a lot of reading in this approach, >>>>> but not as much self-selected--which is what I want them to get "hooked" >>>>> on. Many middle schools have 2 periods to teaching reading and writing >>>>> . >>>>> . . whereas I'm limited to just one. So this is an added complication to >>>>> make it through my curriculum. I'd love to add another class . . . but >>>>> it >>>>> might be a struggle. >>>>> >>>>> Then of course there are the students who are scrambling to find a book >>>>> two minutes before class and reading something different every time. So >>>>> I'm thinking that if I restructure my approach to silent reading, I might >>>>> get better results. I'm planning on doing a "coffee shop" format with my >>>>> 9th graders this year--allowing them a modified reading time. I thought >>>>> that I would alternate weeks--one day a week they would silent read >>>>> self-selected materials and the next week they would share in a group >>>>> with >>>>> coffee/cocoa/cider?! We have gender-grouped our 9th graders, so I will >>>>> have 23 girls. I have never taught to just one gender, but since I will >>>>> be >>>>> doing this, I thought I'd try to make it a bit "girlie". Thank you for >>>>> your >>>>> ideas! >>>>> >>>>> -------------------------------------------------- >>>>> From: "Renee" <[email protected]> >>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 7:54 AM >>>>> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" < >>>>> [email protected]> >>>>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Silent Sustained Reading >>>>> >>>>> Hi there Mark and/or Rachele' >>>>>> >>>>>> I think one of the reasons that some teachers struggle with the >>>>>> concept of SSR is that it seems like "wasted time" or "time not well >>>>>> spent" or "time that is better used for something more explicit and >>>>>> direct" and I see that coming through in your comment that having SSR >>>>>> on >>>>>> one day a week would add up to almost 7 weeks of silent reading in >>>>>> class. >>>>>> But here's a thought.... that's a GREAT use of seven weeks! Time for >>>>>> students to learn to enjoy reading on their own... something that will >>>>>> stay >>>>>> with them forever, something that might turn some non-readers into >>>>>> readers >>>>>> (and I'm not talking about competency, I'm talking about choice). But >>>>>> if it >>>>>> were me, I would turn it around, and have the SSR day be on Monday >>>>>> instead >>>>>> of Friday, because then the reading on Monday could serve as personal >>>>>> information from each student to add to whatever discussions happened >>>>>> during the week. >>>>>> >>>>>> What if, for example, Monday was also a "book sharing" kind of day, >>>>>> where students read silently and independently for 3/4 of the period, >>>>>> something of their own choosing, and then met in small groups to just >>>>>> share >>>>>> with a few other students what they are reading? What if, after this got >>>>>> started, you started throwing out targeted questions for discussion in >>>>>> these small groups? For example, perhaps on one Monday you could suggest >>>>>> that students talk to each other about any visuals that popped up while >>>>>> they were reading, and on another Monday you might suggest that students >>>>>> tell others about any connections they made while reading. >>>>>> >>>>>> I think it's hard for many of us to see this as a good use of time, >>>>>> but I'm with the person who said that SSR would be the last thing she >>>>>> would give up. I worked in a school where everyone stopped to read for >>>>>> 20 >>>>>> minutes every day.... and in our case, that included teachers, the >>>>>> principal, the secretary, etc. I read all of Fountas & Pinnel's Guided >>>>>> Reading and Lucy Calkins' The Art of Teaching Writing during that time. >>>>>> I >>>>>> do not see it as wasted. Rather, I saw it as myself modeling reading for >>>>>> students. I did not worry whether or not they were really reading, >>>>>> unless I >>>>>> saw someone just turning pages, or obviously not engaged. Then I would >>>>>> quietly prompt them to please read or, if they were making noise, that >>>>>> they >>>>>> were interrupting my reading time. It only took a few weeks into this >>>>>> system for nearly all students to be on task most of the time, and I >>>>>> never, >>>>>> ever considered this to be a waste of time. But then, we had >>>>>> administrators who supported it, and that's a key thing. >>>>>> >>>>>> Renee >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Jun 30, 2009, at 6:11 PM, Mark & Rachele' Thummel wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> I struggle with the Silent Sustained Reading as well . . . and I was >>>>>>> wondering what you all thought about it at the upper levels. I teach a >>>>>>> section of 7th grade and 9th grade English. In both classes I'm >>>>>>> expected >>>>>>> to teach reading and writing in 55 minutes--we don't get a period of >>>>>>> "reading" and a period of "writing". I would love to have my students >>>>>>> silent read, but I always feel as though I'm "giving up" valuable >>>>>>> writing >>>>>>> and group literature time. I do teach with a teacher who has her >>>>>>> students >>>>>>> read all period on Fridays . . . but when I add that up, that's almost >>>>>>> 7 >>>>>>> weeks of silent reading in class! The added frustration is that >>>>>>> students >>>>>>> aren't reading outside of school, even when there is a grade >>>>>>> attached--so >>>>>>> I feel as though for some of these students, the only time they are >>>>>>> reading is when it's "carved out" of class time. As I recall, the >>>>>>> research says that for "struggling readers," the best thing to have >>>>>>> them >>>>>>> do is read. But when you only have 1 period to do reading and >>>>>>> writing, I >>>>>>> feel as though using "reading time" to do reading strategies is more >>>>>>> valuable. But I'm interested to know what other middle/upper level >>>>>>> teachers are doing about outside reading and SSR? >>>>>>> -------------------------------------------------- >>>>>>> From: <[email protected]> >>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 12:01 PM >>>>>>> To: <[email protected]> >>>>>>> Subject: [MOSAIC] Silent Sustained Reading >>>>>>> >>>>>>> As teachers, do?you think that Silent Sustained Reading >>>>>>>> improves?individual reading scores on standardized tests?? >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "The ultimate goal of education must be to get each one out of his >>>>>> isolated class, and into the one humanity." ~ Paul Goodman >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>>> >>>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>>> >>>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> "Holding a grudge is like eating rat poison and then >>>> waiting for the rat to die." ~ Anne Lamott >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mosaic mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>> >>> >> > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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