3+-+Tapping+the+Power+of+Wide+Reading+and+Language+Experience

Sustained silent reading programs can enhance the academic background knowledge of students.

The following characteristics need to be implemented for an effective program:

//The program must be continuous  // //over time//. The emphasis on building academic background knowledge is a cumulative process. For students who grow up in economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the disparity in oral language and reading experiences necessitate that compensatory programs must be sustained and intense and span many years.

// The program should conform to eight factors. // //Access// Trade books, comics, newspapers, and other reading materials are provided directly to the students in a variety of ways. The burden of locating reading materials outside of school did not fall on the student. The teacher ensures that all students found something suitable to read.

//Appeal// Students are free and encouraged to read information they find highly interesting and at the appropriate level of reading difficulty.

//Conducive environment A// relaxed, comfortable and quiet atmosphere is desired . //Encouragement// The teacher provides positive feedback to students in three ways Demonstrate an interest in what students are reading Be excited about your own personal reading Allow students to share what they have read with their peers

//Staff training// Provide information and training that engages **all** members of a schools staff. Teachers need to learn about the philosophy and mechanics of a well-functioning program.

//Nonaccountability// Rules out testing students’ knowledge of what they have read but does not rule out activities that ask students to interact with the text and one another.

//Follow-up activities// These are recommended not required activities which allow and encourage students to interact with the information they have read. The purpose is to help students to better understand the information they have read not test knowledge or track performance.

//Distributed time to read// Planning involves systematically and frequently providing students with SSR time at least two times per week and in 20-to 30-minute periods.


 * A Five-Step Process for a successful SSR program**

Step 1: Students Identify Topics of Interest to Them Student interest is the focus unconstrained by the books available

Step 2: Students Identify Reading Material Source of materials may be influenced by Internet or TV. Reading materials are acquired based on student interest and might be expository in nature.

Step 3: Students Are Provided Uninterrupted Time to Read 20- to 30-minutes at least twice a week at every grade level through grade 10

Step 4: Students Write about or Represent the Information in Their Notebooks Students should have an academic notebook section devoted to their topic of choice. Writing in the notebook can be done in linguistic and nonlinguistic (i.e. graphic organizers) ways to help store background knowledge in permanent memory.

Step5: Students Interact with the Information The more students learn about a topic, the more they need to share it with others. Effective student interaction doesn’t just happen. Group activities must have explicit structure and purpose. Five critical features of a well-run group include: 1) Interpersonal skills and small-group skills-communication, trust, leadership decision-making and conflict resolution 2) Group processing-reflecting on how well the team is functioning and how to function even better 3) Face-to-face promotive interaction-helping each other learn, applauding success and efforts 4) Positive interdependence-a sense of sink or swim together 5) Individual and group accountability-each of us had to contribute and achieve group goals