Self Selected Reading

In the balanced literacy classroom

By Leigh Daley

Goals of the Self Selected Reading Block:

Share different kinds of literature
through teacher read-aloud
Encourage childrens reading
interests
Provide instructional-level materials
Build intrinsic motivation

What does the SSR Block look like?

Segment One Teacher Read Aloud
5 to 10 minutes
Variety of genres, topics, authors

Segment Two Independent Reading and

Conferencing
15 20 minutes
Students read independently from selected
material
Conferences with 3-5 students daily

Segment Three (Optional) Sharing (5 min)

Several students briefly share with the group
what they have read
The reader answers questions from classmates
about the book. Teacher models appropriate
questions children should ask.

Teacher Read Alouds

- from Becoming a Nation of Readers, (Anderson et al, 1985)
Reading aloud to children is the single
most important activity for creating
the motivation and background
knowledge essential for success in
reading. It is hard to imagine any
other activity that is so simple to do
yet has so many benefits, such as:

 Building childrens motivation for becoming

lifelong readers
Increasing background knowledge on many
topics
Developing listening and speaking
vocabularies
Teaching about story elements and
structure
Getting ideas for writing from books they
have heard
Providing vicarious experiences for
children with limited firsthand experience

Besides that.
If you SKIP this blockwhen will you
get your assessments and individual
student conferencing and assistance
done???

Variations in Read Aloud Material

Variety, which is important in all teaching
activities, is particularly important in the
choice of books read aloud to children.
A survey of 537 elementary classroom
teachers found that not one of the most
frequently listed read-aloud titles at any
grade level was a nonfiction book.
In the last decade, many of the best new
childrens books have been nonfiction
titles. (Gail Gibbons, Joanna Cole, Seymour
Simon)
A child who does not like to read is a child
who has not found the right book.

Teacher Read Alouds

5-10 Minutes EVERY day.

Teacher models what good readers do
Bless books for children.
Author studies (Jan Brett, Carol Hurst)
Read aloud can be text from Social
Studies or Science
Children are exposed to various
genres-fiction, poetry, nonfiction,
biographies Suggestions can be
found at the SSR link off Literacy Lane.

Independent Reading and Conferencing:

Variations in where children read:
Tables with book crates
Centers (big books, magazines, class authored
books, science reading centers, author centers,
taped books centers, computerized books)

Variations in how children read:

In first grade, we use pretend reading, picture
reading, and reading the words.
Beyond first grade, if a student needs the first
two strategies, they are done during the
conference time.

Variations in conferencing:
Teachers desk
Students desk

Basic Conference Procedure

The student reads a page or two from his chosen
book.
The teacher asks a question or two.
The teacher encourages the student to look at
reading from a writers point of view.
If students have been working on a particular
comprehension skills during Guided Reading, the
teacher may ask questions that help the child apply
these skills to the book hes chosen.
Use open ended questions to help children form
opinions and tell about their reading preferences.
As the year progresses and children become fluent
readers, there is more discussion and less reading
aloud during the conference time.
The teacher may also want to help children anticipate
the focus of the conference.

General questions to ask:

Why did you choose this book?
Have you read any other book by this
author? Which one?
Is your book a fiction book or
nonfiction book? How can you tell?
What do you think will happen next?
Why do you say that?
How did the author make the facts
interesting in this book? Show me an
example.

Questions to encourage thinking like a writer.

How did the author let you know that
the main character was scared?
Why was the beach a good setting for
the story?
If you had written this story, would
you have chosen the same setting?
Why or why not?
Did you learn anything from this book
that you can use in your own writing?
If so, what?

Questions to apply to Guided Reading:

Who are the characters?

What is the setting?
Was there a problem and did it get solved?
Can you tell me what happened at the
beginning, middle and end of your story?
What new facts did you learn from this book?
This book has wonderful pictures of real
places. Tell me about the pictures and what
you learned from them.
Can you explain this chart about the parts of
the animals body to me?
Can you read the map and explain where he
traveled?

Open Ended Questions

Do you like this book? Why or why not?

What did you think about this book?
What didnt you like about this book?
What was your favorite part?
Who was your favorite character? Why?
Did the book have any pictures you really
liked? Which ones?
What was the most interesting thing you
learned in this book?
What was the funniest (saddest, most
surprising, silliest, strangest) part of this
book?

More about conferences

Special time to get to know the individual
child.
5-10 minutes with each child. (two or three
each day)
Conferences for fluency check.
Running Records.
Conferences to discuss story elements.
Conferences to make a personal connection
to the text. (build background knowledge)
Teacher Question Cards for all grade levels.

Golden Rules for Independent Reading:

NO ROAMING!
Use whisper phones.
Stay with the same book(s) each day.
Build time to read gradually up to 20
minutes.
Schedule set time each day.
Be ready for your conference time (
Cue Cards, Bookmarks)
No talking---this is time for silent reading.
Do not take AR test during SSR time.
Please do not interrupt the teacher during a
conference. (sign)

Helping students choose books:

Interest Inventory
Model the 5 Finger Rule.
Guide students to their appropriate
level books.
Dont lose the focus of AR.
Bless books.
Expose children to various genres
and authors.
Reading Star.

Help with book levels:

AR Level
Reading Recovery Level
Guided Reading Level (Fountas and Pinnell)
DRA
Grade Level (Beginning grade level 1.1;
second half of grade 1.2)
Wright Group
See Correlation Table
Help with Leveling Books

Sharing Variations
A readers chair one or two children
get to share
Kiddie-type microphones to
command attention
A TV cutout be the TV reporter
Reading parties
Sharing with other classes
Magic wands for students to bless
books
Share Award Certificates

 For many of us, being read to as a

child or reading a little before lights
out was a familiar bedtime ritual. In
homes today, television, computers,
and video games have all but replaced
this reading event. How much a child
reads is the best indicator of how well
that child reads the best readers
read a lot. Children who dont like to
read simply have not found the right
book.

 Children who have been read to

regularly and who have time each day
to read books will become readers.
Readers are not just people who CAN
read readers are people who DO
read! In years gone by, the SelfSelected Reading Block was usually
done at home! Our Self-Selected
Reading Block ensures that all
children experience daily read-alouds
and time for reading books of their
choice and on their own level.

Reference:
Cunningham, P, Hall, D, & Sigmon, C
(1999). The Teacher's Guide to the
Four Blocks. Greensboro: CarsonDellosa.