The study aims to verify whether extensive reading (ER) is able to promote senior high school students' English reading motivation and foster positive attitude towards reading in English. It further explores the teachers' perceptions of and the challenges faced in the implementation of ER activities. An ER activity was held for 12 weeks with 258…

Educators often use reading programs to address younger students' reading abilities and teachers' perceptions of those reading abilities; however, few researchers have examined teachers' perceptions of the effects of sustained silent reading on middle and high school students. The conceptual framework for this study was based on social learning…

Two pressing education reforms entail improving students' reading skills and improving high schools in the United States. In this article, the authors focus on both of these issues by adding the voices of students in an underperforming high school to the discussion about reading reform. We present the results of a larger study pertaining…

Describes the implementation of a version of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), called the DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) program, throughout their school. Presents their experience with the program in the KWL format (what we KNOW, what we WANTED to know, and what we LEARNED). Provides a bibliography of 12 young adult short stories used in the…

This book provides an explanation of sustained silent reading, why it is important, and how to implement it in school and classroom programs. The book presents an overview of underlying research and reviews eight essential factors ensuring a program's success, explicitly identifying them and explaining how they may be incorporated. The factors…

Argues that, in addition to teaching reading skills, teachers need to schedule time for children to practice reading. Presents specific guidelines for implementing a Sustained Quiet Uninterrupted and Independent Reading Time (SQUIRT) program which include how to find time, set a purpose, and set procedures. (NH)

The practice of sustained silent reading (SSR) is based on the belief that motivation, interest, self-selection, modeling, and time spent reading contribute to student reading achievement. A study was designed to ascertain the prevalence of SSR in classrooms in a particular geographic area and the degree to which the program's original goals are…

Investigates whether the rhetoric of uninterrupted, sustained, silent reading was evident in primary classrooms (in England) where the practice was professed to operate. Finds that, while the value of a quiet reading time was generally acknowledged, many models operated under the guise of "uninterrupted sustained silent reading," models…

This article describes the implementation of an extensive reading (ER) program with 43 first language (L1) and second language (L2) adult literacy students. Among them, 16% were nonnative speakers of English. The main principles considered in the design of the program were (a) purpose of reading, (b) reading tactics, (c) material used, and (d) …

Discusses the effects of a sustained silent reading (SSR) program on school administrators, teachers, librarians, and the students. Offers suggestions on setting up an SSR program. (SRT)

The lack of leisure reading of learning disabled seventh graders was addressed by the implementation of a 3-part reading program. First, a sustained silent reading program was established school-wide on a daily basis. Second, a target group of 15 seventh grade learning disabled students participated in sustained silent reading with writing twice a…

A 310 Project, Learn to Read, was conducted by Oakton Community College in suburban Chicago to teach reading to functionally illiterate and limited English speaking (LEP) adults using a variety of approaches. Participants included two groups. One group consisted of American-born adults who had basic oral competency but had failed to acquire…