SSR-Silent Sustained Reading:

The most important thing we do each day!

Some books are to be tasted,

others to be swallowed,

and some few to be chewed and digested;

that is, some books are to be read only in parts,

others to be read, but not curiously,

and some few to be read wholly,

and with diligence and attention.”

–Francis Bacon

How does SSR work in this class?

Briefly defined, SSR-Silent Sustained Reading is about a twenty-minute quiet reading time during language arts where you read and participate in reading activities. Silent Sustained Reading is designed to help you become a more effective reader. What is most important to know?

This is the most important thing you will do everyday.

Bring a book that interests you to class daily.

Use your reading time wisely so you read for 20 minutes and disturb no one.

Read as many books as it takes between now and the end of the year.

Read books you have not read before, so no re-reads.

Talk about your book with a friends or classmate.

Read books that will help you grow as a reader and will help you better understand the world.

Complete assignments that connect to what you are reading.

How is SSR graded on the Patos Team?

SSR will not become a percent of your language arts grade. You will not be required to read a certain number of pages per semester. However, your SSR book will be like a textbook. For SSR you will have assignments to learn strategies and discover how good writers write. Your book will be the text for those assignments. You will use examples from the book to show what you have learned about reading strategies, what you understand about how an author writes a good story, and what connections you are making. Some of the kinds of assignments that will become part of your language arts grade will be:

Practicing reading strategies and recording your understandings.

Reflecting about your use of reading strategies in a journaling format.

Applying characteristics of story elements to your SSR book giving examples from the book.

Doing book talks with classmates or with Mrs. Hiller.

Entering SSR book reviews on our class blog.

Entering journal reflections you are making on connections you are making.

Taking quizzes on your knowledge on reading strategies and story elements.