Kara Livingston, EDU740

1. Leading by Example
Useful Strategies
Kara Harniman Livingston
EDU 740

2.  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

3.  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

4.  Teachers need to lead by example and
model silent reading process.
 The teacher taking a minute to share what
they are reading encourages the students
to do the same.
 We are our students best role models in
developing a love of reading in them.

5.  Whatever the case, whether SSR is a private time
activity or a discussion or writing motivator, most
experts agree that one thing is essential to its
success. It is crucial that teachers participate in the
process as role models.
 SSR time is not a time for teachers to correct
papers or plan the next day's lessons. Teachers
should be right there on the floor (or in another
comfortable spot) -- modeling a lifelong love of
reading. If students are expected to fill out a
reading log after reading, teachers should do the
same.

6.  I have incorporated a book wall in my room that
allows students to critique and recommend novels
to their peers.
 Using a simple, anonymous format, the students
submit the title, author, theme and meaningful
events about the book they want to share.
 These recommendations are posted once a month
and if possible, I track down a copy of the novel in
the school media center. Some I have even
purchased for my classroom library, including such
titles as the Hunger Games series.

7.  Ifa weekly "share time" is part of the SSR
routine, the teacher can serve as a model by
talking about the book he or she is reading.
 Teachers can model the thought processes
that accompany reading by talking about how
the main character changes through the
course of the book, about the author's use of
language, and about surprises and
disappointments they encounter as they read.

8.  Even though this presentation is
addressing silent reading activities, it is
important to add that even middle and high
school level students enjoy read alouds for
enjoyment.
 Many students never had an adult read to
them at home on a regular basis and enjoy
hearing popular novels read aloud to them
for pure enjoyment.

9.  My students have a „protected reading time‟
of twenty minutes daily to read whatever
would like. It is a school wide initiative, and
our MAP reading scores have improved
steadily in the past few years since we
implemented „Warriors Read‟
 We encourage them to challenge themselves,
but some enjoy reading the “You Wouldn‟t
Want To Be…” series I have available in the
classroom, which is below many of their
reading abilities but so much fun and
informative.

10.  Another activity that works well when
encouraging middle and high school students
to share what they read for enjoyment is
blogging.
 Edmodo is a great site for setting up a blog
for students. It is user-friendly, like Facebook,
and allows students to share their reading
experiences in a neutral setting.
 Shelfari would be another great way to
encourage interaction among students about
what they are reading.

11.  http://www.essentialschools.org/resources/
450
 www.edmodo.com
 www.readwritethink.org
 www.shelfari.com

12. www.educationworld.com Hopkins, Gary.
"Sustained Silent Reading" Helps Develop
Independent Readers (and Writers).
Education World, 1997. Updated
10/15/2007.