LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Hi Netters
Joyce Conklin told us about SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) which takes
place every day for 15 minutes in a local school. This occurs in our
primary (elementary) school in every class from Year 1 to Year 7 for a time
period ranging from 15 - 20 mins/day. In Australia we call this USSR
(Uninterupted Sustained Silent Reading). It occurs straight after lunch
each day when children return to the classroom hot and bothered and it
serves to settle everybody and quieten them down, including the teacher who
also reads - sometimes to the children but sometimes individually, just
like the children. This serves as a model for the children. They need to
see adults as readers. I venture to suggest that this does not occur in
too many homes today.
We have been doing this for many years. A wide range of reading material
is provided. Our reading program includes literature units that have been
compiled for each year level, a total of 36 in all. As well, there are 36
collections of graded reading material. Each class has one literature unit
and one box of graded material at a time. These are changed at regular
periods throughout the year. By the end of Year 7 each child will have
experienced every unit. In addition there is regular weekly, supervised
borrowing from the Resource Centre and opportunies to borrow at lunchtime.
USSR is an integral part of the reading program but we do not assess it
separately. The children at our school read generally well. There are
those with reading problems of course, but these are not great in number.
The children at our school are mostly "middle class" and achieve quite well
overall so we do not have the challenge of some schools but we do believe
that the on going, daily period of USSR is beneficial.
Chris XYZ
Chris Skrzeczynski, Teacher-librarian <cxyz@gil.com.au>
Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School
1 Kenmore Road Kenmore, Qld 4069
Australia Ph: (07)33782412 Fax: (07)38783160
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