Research shows that Silent Sustained Reading (SSR)/Independent Reading is one of--if not THE--most effective ways for students to grow their vocabulary, develop deep thinking and literacy skills, and improve scores on state standardized tests. This is true despite state education systems inexplicably moving away from these tried and true practices.
This year, guided by research and intuition, I am going hard in the paint on Independent Reading. This is going to be an intentional (not unplanned mishmash) time every day for students to self-select a text that is of interest to them, read it deeply, and engage in book talks and writing around it.
That's where this project comes in. Without high interest, diverse, and lexile-varied texts to read, my precious students would have to read the boring, falling apart hand-me-downs from the 1980s that gather dust in our storage rooms. If that happens, nothing good happens.
Students will be reading these engaging novels, biographies, and non-fiction books in the classroom, but will also be able to take them home if they're that hooked!
About my class
Research shows that Silent Sustained Reading (SSR)/Independent Reading is one of--if not THE--most effective ways for students to grow their vocabulary, develop deep thinking and literacy skills, and improve scores on state standardized tests. This is true despite state education systems inexplicably moving away from these tried and true practices.
This year, guided by research and intuition, I am going hard in the paint on Independent Reading. This is going to be an intentional (not unplanned mishmash) time every day for students to self-select a text that is of interest to them, read it deeply, and engage in book talks and writing around it.
That's where this project comes in. Without high interest, diverse, and lexile-varied texts to read, my precious students would have to read the boring, falling apart hand-me-downs from the 1980s that gather dust in our storage rooms. If that happens, nothing good happens.
Students will be reading these engaging novels, biographies, and non-fiction books in the classroom, but will also be able to take them home if they're that hooked!
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