Practice is important in learning, maintaining, or improving any skills. Studies by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that students perform better when they do independent reading. In order to be a good reader, a person must practice reading, but reading practice declines markedly after fifth grade. Educators and parents must work to reverse this trend. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) is designed to provide reading experiences and practice that often does not occur in the busy schedules of America's young adolescents. Sustained Silent Reading in any of its various forms or formulas is easy to implement, but it requires attention and commitment to maintain. In this article, the author examines some key strategies and tools to foster the successful maintenance of a classroom or building-wide SSR program.