Family Literacy
November is Massachusetts Family Literacy Month.
Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium (MFLC)
Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
National Center for Family Literacy
Children More Likely to Own a Mobile Phone Than a Book - Guardian UK
Sustained Silent Reading
Drop Everything and Read
http://www.essentialschools.org/resources/450
Successful SSR programs typically have key features in common. In The SSR Handbook, Pilgreen identifies eight factors for a “stacked for success program.” These factors are:
- Access: ensuring students have access to a wide range of reading materials
- Appeal: tapping into students’ reading interests and letting them choose their own materials
- Environment: providing a comfortable atmosphere in which to read
- Encouragement: implementing various strategies to support students in developing effective reading habits
- Non-accountability: making sure not to attach work to reading that takes place in SSR
- Distributed time to read: creating opportunities to read on a regular basis
- Follow-up activities: establishing activities that occur after SSR to allow students to share what they are reading with others
- Staff training: supporting staff in the rationale for SSR as well as best practices for effective implementation
While not all of these factors are required in order to develop a strong SSR program, most need to be in place. Four factors essential for success are 1) allowing students to choose their own reading, 2) ensuring that teachers model by reading with students, 3) not assigning work, and 4) making sure students can find interesting things to read.