ECHO — As Dr. Seuss so famously said, “The more that you read, the more things you know.”

Despite its ongoing list of benefits, including stronger literacy skills and widened perspectives, the trouble lies in picking up a book. Most claim they do not have the time in today’s fast-paced world, especially students engaged in sports and other activities. Even if time is found or made, some regard reading as boring and say they would rather do something else.

To combat these issues and improve attitudes toward reading, teachers across the nation have utilized sustained silent reading programs where they designate 10-20 minutes of class time for uninterrupted reading. Ashley Snow, Echo High School English teacher, has used SSR for her entire career. She said Kelly Gallagher’s 2009 publication, “Readicide,” helped shape her philosophy.

“Students can grow as readers when having a combination of classroom anthology work, novel studies, along with independent reading text selections,” Snow said.

The time SSR provides is not simply time, but a quiet time void of distractions where students can become fully focused and immersed in their book. Several Echo students discussed the value of having dedicated time to turn pages.

“I really appreciate reading in class,” Echo senior Calliope Mills said. “As someone who can barely make time for reading and is always distracted by her phone, having a designated time makes it easier for me to want to read.”

Classmate Nevaeh Thew agreed, adding, “It also only takes up a short period of time, so it’s a good compromise for people who don’t like reading as well.”

SSR also provides students with a sense of freedom. Unlike assigned readings, they select what interests them and have the opportunity to read out of pleasure rather than necessity.

“I like choosing my own book,” Mills said. “I think giving students a choice of what to read will make them more likely to read.”

Snow has witnessed this in action. She has observed reluctant readers turn into students who read for pleasure. SSR, Snow said, also enables students to try out different classifications of reading materials.

“I make sure to have a variety of genres in class, including high-interest books for reluctant readers,” she said. “When I have a student really interested in a certain author, I support that love of reading and order more books by that author.”

The discussions following reading time, Snow said, tend to lead to book recommendations among peers and further expand their genre horizons.

Sustained silent reading shifts focus

Another characteristic that sets SSR programs apart from other literary systems is the focus on comprehension rather than recitation. As with most assignments, memorizing the answers tends to overshadow critical thinking and analysis.

Without having to worry about aspects usually found on tests, like character names and descriptions, more emphasis is placed on understanding the content. Along with improved comprehension, SSR promotes independence as students form their own summaries, opinions and ideas.

“Students who really focus on their independent reading time have improved as readers, simply by reading more and being exposed to more words,” Snow said.

However, there are some limitations with SSR. Without guidance and supervision, mistakes like proper pronunciation may go unnoticed. Some claim it takes up too much valuable class time, and students do have enough time if they replace social media scrolling with reading.

“It’s all based on how you utilize SSR,” Snow said. “If it’s just a time filler, then it shouldn’t be used.”

When used purposefully, she said it is a meaningful activity. Snow said the independent reading time she provides in the classroom is often the only time “a large chunk of students” read for pleasure.

Mills agreed, saying, “If I didn’t have reading time in class, I wouldn’t read at all.”

“As someone who can barely make time for reading and is always distracted by her phone, having a designated time makes it easier for me to want to read.”

— Calliope Mills, Echo High School senior