ENG 11-

TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES THROUGH

The Advantages of Sustained Silent Reading

Enhances Reading Enjoyment

Readers choose their own materials for sustained silent reading, so children can pick books of
interest. Adults must ensure that children are given many options. Parents and teachers can
take kids to the library and let them pick books using the five finger test. The child reads a
random page in a book. He extends one finger for each word he doesn't know. If he puts out
four or five fingers, the book is probably too difficult. When they are given the freedom to
choose, kids discover stories that appeal to them, and they develop a positive attitude toward
reading. There are no tests or questions to answer, so the pressure is off. They are reading
for the pure joy of reading.

Increases Comprehension

Readers don't have to pay as much attention to the pronunciation of every single word when
they read silently, so they can concentrate on reading for understanding. As vocabulary,
fluency and motivation increase, so does comprehension. Children read books at their own
level and their own pace. They can visualize and interpret the words in their own way. Some
teachers provide time after SSR for students to share their thoughts on the books they're
reading. This helps them recall, and it reinforces comprehension. Students are required to
read silently for standardized tests, and sustained silent reading provides effective practice.

Builds Vocabulary

Silent reading provides the opportunity to learn the meanings of many new words in context.
Kids are able to discover word definitions in an interesting way without any direct instruction.
They tend to be more open to this method of learning new words than they would be if they
were involved in intensive, forced vocabulary instruction. Children will apply the word attack
skills they've learned to figure out new words on their own.
Improves Writing Skills

There is a well-established link between reading and writing. When children are engrossed in
silent reading, they observe a variety of writing styles and sentence structures that influence
their own writing styles. Since they are able to concentrate on the words they're reading,
grammar and spelling typically improve. Consistent, independent reading inspires a creative
thought process that transfers to the written word. Some teachers combine sustained silent
writing with SSR. After the students read silently, they write in dialogue journals to reflect on
what they've just read. The teacher doesn't correct the writing, she simply responds, using
corrected spelling words and grammar structures in her response.

Basic Reading Skills

Becoming a proficient reader requires mastery of several skills that need to be applied
simultaneously. Obviously, this doesn't happen overnight. These basic skills should be
learned first in isolation, then as readers becomes more adept at each one, they can progress
and combine until they can read independently with full comprehension of what they read.
Basic reading skills encompass a range from phonics to comprehension.

Decoding

Decoding or sounding out words is the first step in reading. Children can decode when they
understand that each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding sound. Children then learn
how to look at words in print, isolate each separate sound, then blend them to read the word
as a whole. The goal of phonics instruction is to enable readers to become proficient at
decoding so they are able to read words on their own and with little effort.

Vocabulary

Good readers increase their vocabulary every time they read and are able to recall these
words when they see them again. They begin by developing a sight word vocabulary. Sight
words are words that are frequently found often in common speech and books, such as "the,"
"is," "were," "was" and "said." Generally, these words cannot be sounded out, so readers have
to memorize them. Knowledge of these words is essential because they can be found in any
book.

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read accurately with expression and at a speed that lends itself to
comprehension. Fluent readers will be able to read smoothly without having to take a lot of
time to sound out words. They are also able to use context clues to figure out unknown words.
Fluency is most evident when a person reads aloud, but it can also be seen by the reader's
ability to understand what they read. Fluent readers are able to pay attention to the details in a
book because they don't have to spend a lot of time sounding out words.

Comprehension
Comprehension is a basic reading skill that develops as children learn to sound out words and
recognize sight words. The more they read, the easier it is for them to remember specific
things like the main characters, setting and plot. As reading skills progress, children will
develop advanced comprehension skills like inferring, evaluating and retelling.

Shared Reading Activities for Kindergarten

Shared reading is a group activity. Children learn to predict and make meaning out of what is
not directly expressed. Through a sense of community, children develop a pleasure for
reading while acquiring skills such as building vocabulary, learning story elements, and
tracking reading left to right and word to word. Shared reading activities like dramatic play,
echo and choral reading, narrative storyboarding and word games engage children in reading
literacy.

Dramatic Play

Acting out stories helps children relate to the characters and choices they make. Retelling the
story through dramatic play improves reading comprehension by helping children remember
what happened. Children learn narrative structure through the characters and themes as the
story unfolds, enriching play with literacy. For example, in Aesop's Fable "The Lion and the
Mouse," as children act out the story, they learn bravery, mutual kindness and that size
doesn't always equal effectiveness.

Echo Reading

In echo reading, children imitate the teacher's skilled reading. The teacher reads the words
aloud while tracking them in the children's view. This strategy allows children to learn sight
words, begin reading more advanced text, and gain confidence. Through echoing, students
learn expressive, fluent reading. Read from a variety of genres, such as poetry, folk tales and
fairy tales, to spark their interests. For example, read Robert Louis Stevenson's poem, “Bed in
Summer," one line at a time and have the students read each line back to you.

Choral Reading

During choral reading, children read aloud together with the teacher. Children are given a
copy of the story and follow along with a marker or finger. Choral reading models fluent
reading and gives less skilled children an opportunity to practice before reading on their own.
Choose material that engages students' imagination, such as Aesop's Fable "The Tortoise
and the Hare" and encourage them to read each line with the proper expression and emotion.

Narrative Storyboard

A storyboard is a graphic organizer with pictures of the story unfolding in sequence. Students
visualize the series of events as the story is read. For example, read "Goldilocks and the
Three Bears” and have students arrange the pictures on the storyboard to display the events
as the story is read. Storyboarding conveys a story's theme through visualization, which can
remove barriers when English is not the primary language.

Word Games

Teaching children to recognize high frequency and sight words allows them to focus on
understanding their reading, rather than decoding unfamiliar words. Primary Concepts
suggests playing games such as Word Bingo. The teacher calls out a word. Using a Word
Bingo board, if a player has the word a counter is placed on it. The first player to get five
words marked in a row or column wins. High frequency and sight words can also be learned
through music and word walls.
Name: ______________________________ Degree Program: ______ Set: ____ Time: ____

1. Why Sustained Silent Reading is important?