Sustained silent reading programs have many names, but share similar guidelines. Students read for enjoyment for an uninterrupted time daily, choose their own books and whether to finish them, observe teachers modeling good reading habits, and are not required to take tests or write book reports on their reading. (9 references) (MLH)

The action research project report began when the teacher researchers determined that students at Sites A and B struggled with reading achievement. The purpose of the project was to improve students' reading achievement through increased motivation, specific skill instruction, and additional practice time. The project involved 26 students: 17…

Describes a study of the relationship between silent and oral reading comprehension as measured by an individualized diagnostic instrument. (RB)

Concludes that while Sustained Silent Reading (S.S.R.) may be an effective technique for teaching reading, the data which support it are inconclusive. (RB)

Teachers can encourage students to see reading as meaning-making in a number of ways. Context support methods begin by ensuring that the context is already familiar to students so that word recognition is made easier. Language experience approaches encourage children to learn to read by first reading what they have produced. Real books, as…

Focusing on reading, this issue of "Insights" contains three sections. The first, by Clara A. Pedersen, lists 20 questions which teachers and administrators should ask themselves before administering reading tests. The second, "What's Wrong with Reading Tests" by Deborah Meier, defines reading, describes learning to read, and analyzes the problems…

The two concepts of individualized instruction in reading, prescriptive individualized instruction (IPI) and the individualized reading program (IRP), differ in the nature of their structures. The IPI program involves a progressive sequence of learning tasks which are accomplished at an individual's own rate. The IRP involves exploration and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of good and poor readers in grade five to recognize the form of derived words where morphophonemic alternation occurs but orthographic consistency exists. A 2 x 2 x 4 factorial design was used to investigate the effects of reading ability, word reality (real and pseudo), and mode of…

In a study designed to investigate whether the meaning of printed words is perceived directly in rapid silent reading or by means of phonetic recoding, subjects named pictures on which words or nonwords were superimposed as distractors. In a Stroop task of this kind, distractor words that are not congruent with the names of the pictures on which…

Presents some preliminary findings from a study on reading automaticity. The introduction of increased silent reading time in school is an essential component in helping students reach reading automaticity. (MD)

Describes the process of mental modeling, a technique for helping poor readers become strategic readers by increasing their metacognitive control. (ARH)

A daily 20-minute period was established during which deaf students (ages 5-10) and their teachers engaged in sustained silent reading. Despite some initial difficulties in obtaining compliance among both students and teachers, students have begun to spend more time on a single book and are more willing to reread books. (VW)

The FRI and GORT tests are reviewed with attention to test rationales and purposes, test development, test administration, and making the purchase choice. Concludes that the FRI is the preferable test. (JK)

Suggests that readers participate in literary texts by creating and perceiving voices in the work. (HOD)

Five junior high learning disabled students read a passage silently before reading it aloud or listened to the teacher read the passage aloud while following silently before reading aloud. Among results were that the systematic prepractice procedures were related to higher performance levels than the baseline (no prepractice). (Authors/MC)