Bringing SSR into the Classroom for Seminar

You do not have to be ELA teachers. Your job is not to instruct the students how to make an inference, your job simply is this... Turn Kids On to Reading. Your job is to encourage them to fall in love with reading again. This should be FUN, not an assignment to dread, on the contrary, something to look forward to. We must change our attitude towards reading. Changing a culture is difficult. But I believe in this whole-heartedly. I would be happy to share some stats from Kelly Gallagher’s book, Readicide, that supports the overwhelming benefits of allowing the students to choose what they read: SAT scored are directly impacted, their stamina increases, something they sorely need before heading off to college. There is no magic bullet. This sounds ground breaking, but the best way to become a better reader is to read, to put miles on the page. To paraphrase Nancy Atwell: a good teacher will move heaven and Earth in order to put just the right book into student hands.

I highlighted some instrumental names in BOLD.  I first encountered Self-Selected Reading (SSR) in "Reading Apprenticeship" and excellent school wide initiative. Nothing to concern yourself with now, but if you are interested, they have great stuff. 

HELPFUL Pedagogical Videos

• Penny Kittle - Why Students are Not Reading
• Nancy Atwell - sample of in class book talk, notice the entire class is engaged in SSR. Let the students know what the room sounds like, looks like, what you will be doing during SSR
• IF YOU SHOW ONLY TWO, START WITH THE ABOVE for STUDENTS
• John Green - Importance of Reading - Good student video as well as he is a highly respected YA author
• Kelly Gallagher - Readicide (2 prts) - this one would be more for the teacher.

We need to have impart our expectations during SSR as a staff. I created a Thinking Map that does just that. It is crucial; the students know full well what is expected of them during SSR. It is also imperative the know what to expect from you the teacher. This will take time, it will be a gradual release for many. Teachers model what to do, what is expected. Then, we do it together as a class, finally the students take ownership of SSR.

THINGS TO DO during SSR - TEACHERS

• Model - when students read, you read something you like. Escape into a book.
• Walk around the room, quietly discuss your book with a student or vice-versa, aka a book talk
• book talks - share what is being read
• this can be achieved one-on-one, small groups, or directly in front of the class
• Ideas for book talks – what to discuss
• Rate it on a scale of 1 -10
• Who would you recommend it to? Why? Boys? Girls? What age?
• Give a 5 sentence summary.
• Can you make any connections? 
• What kind of writing is it? Genre?
• Even read a quote or the back of the book.
• Have them write about what they are reading for 5 minutes, then pass the paper to the next person, they read and respond, and keep it going... Great way for kids to quickly learn what others are reading without pressure of having to speak in front of the class.
• I have laminated cards with LOADS of other great literature starter questions to get the dialogue rolling. I would be happy to lend.f
• While I do have a template I have my students eventually fill out for a final book talk project, for Seminar, I would suggest keeping it brief and fun. The whole purpose is to expose students to books them might not have otherwise discovered
• Monitor / Engage Readers
• Walk around the room, see that they are engaged, if not, help them seek out a book. SHOW them this is important.
• The goal is not to "bust" them, but to then find the book that is right for them.
• If they are day dreaming, constantly getting to the bottom of the page and having no idea what was read, maybe it is time for a new book’
• The 5 finger rule is another quick formative assessment a student can use to see if the book is right for them
•             Open a random page, read, every time you encounter an unknown word, hold up a finger. If you reach five fingers before the end of the page, chances are you wan to find an easier read.
• When that one book is located, when they have that one special book, that will transform them, the rest falls into place, and you are set.  For me, that book was Slaughter-House Five
• Have the kids see you get excited about this.
• Sell it to them.
• I usually begin each class with about 10 minutes SSR, feel free o stop by and check it out anytime.
• Finding just the right book
• John Green - If You Like This, Then You May Enjoy... Again, very famous YA author, he suggests books based on ones you may have previously read and liked. 
• See what other peers have read on the Book Talks DHS page - I have been slowly creating this, I am behind, I still have lots to put up, but basically DHS students do recorded book talks.
• Reading Tips and Lists - great for reading strategies and quick suggestions and a resource to find books.
• Good Reads - Teen Books List - excellent list for finding cool books and discussing them on line. Literature 2.0
• Reading List Flow chart - Do yourself a favor and just check this one out.
• Kelly Gallagher - article of the Week - informational article options
• Banned Book Week from the American Library Association. End of Sept. Reverse Psychology at its finest.
• Bring in periodicals, sports magazines, graphic novels, comics, etc. There is nothing like having a handful of go-to books in the room just in case.
• TEACHER – ONE-ON-ONEs w/ students
• Asking book specific questions
• So what is going on in the story so far?
• Who is your favorite character and why?
• Do you see any similarities between your world and this book?
• To me, making connection is the most poignant of all reading strategies. How can this book make YOUR life better?
• Do you like the writing style?
• If you could pick a character to hang out with in DeWitt who would it be, what would you do and why?
• If you were the main character, what would you do different
• If you were inside the story, how would you feel?
• Do any characters remind you of any one you know?

TEACHERS - THINGS TO AVOID

• Emailing
• Grading Papers
• Poor attitude - sell it - this is something cool, who doesn’t like curling up to a good book and escape?
• Allowing them to do homework, or "read" their History book. Yes this is indeed reading, but not SELF SELECTED READING. They need to plan ahead, they will know that they cannot procrastinate homework before a specified SSR day. This is time for escape, leaving the pressures of high school and parents behind if only for a little while.
• They can become a King, a Queen, an explorer, a pirate, run from the law, save the day, and travel through time all from the safety of their seminar classroom.

ACCOUNTABILITY

· You can have them fill out a self rubric although be careful, remember, this is NOT designed as work, we want them to ENJOY this.

· Generally, I provide 5 pts. I have a roster, if students are engaged and reading in the first 5 minutes, they receive a check, I randomly do another check roughly 15-20 minutes in. If a student receives 2 out of 2, the get the full 5, 1 out of 2 they get 2.5 out of 5.

· If a student is absence I allow two make up options. Parents can email me and vouch that their student as spend 20 minutes reading a self selected book of their choice, in essence, they have read for FUN.

·  OR - they can go on to Good Read, (link above) and leave a "book review" Essentially, they locate a book they have read, and upload a brief review. They then print the review and submit to me, 7-10 sentences. 

· Phones/tablets/Devices - This is up to your personal comfort level. I will say, there is a great deal of literature available with the use of tablets. You can tell if a student is reading. Are they scrolling from time to time as they approach the bottom of a page (the correct way) or are the click clacking away as required for a game or texting? You can very easily approach and use "Asking Book specific Questions" I previously highlighted. It becomes painfully obvious if a student cannot tell you the name of a character they just supposedly read, or even easier, ask them to read aloud to you, the most recent passage, then, have them explain what it means to them.

·       This is NOT a GOTCHA – you are simply  guide trying to put the right book in student hands