Reinvigorating Student Interest in Pleasure Reading

How to Build an Effective Sustained Silent Reading Program in the Classroom

Abstract

Pleasure reading has undergone a drastic decline among students while time spent on electronic devices has soared. In order to promote literacy in an age of digital entertainment, educators must reinvigorate student interest in reading for fun. Sustained silent reading is a promising tool to achieve that goal. SSR theorizes that students will experience reading as a pleasurable activity if provided the freedom to choose their own books and the ability to interact with those texts without summative assessments. Although there are many ways to structure SSR in the classroom, research shows that the most effective programs help students select books matching their ability level and interests, create opportunities for sharing with peers, integrate SSR with lesson planning, and promote teacher modeling of independent reading.