Penn Manor’s “Friday Reading” is a great way to get students interested in reading.
Yes it is, in a way, forcing them to read, but many students find themselves attached to their book, newspaper, or magazine when those fifteen minutes are over.
“Friday Reading time is great, it makes your classes go faster and I like the book I’ve been reading, so that time set aside is awesome.
Especially when your teacher goes over fifteen minutes and lets the class read longer,” said sophomore student, Jaime Reel.
It may be taking time out of learning in the classroom, but it allows students to teach themselves, in a way. They are able to use their imagination and explore their minds in different ways, rather than being forced to read something that they could care less about.
Not just Penn Manor sets aside reading time, but schools all over the world believe that setting aside time for students to read their own material, will increase their knowledge in vocabulary and comprehension in general, according to iteslj.org.
Although called “Friday Reading” at Penn Manor, in many other schools, this time set aside is referred to as “DEAR” (drop everything and read), “SQUIRT” (silent, quiet, uninterrupted individualized reading time), “USSR” (uninterrupted sustained silent reading) or “SSR” (sustained silent reading). No matter the title used, they all have the same basic principles.
Studies indicate that students who engage in SSR improve in both reading achievement and attitude toward reading, according to readingonline.org.
These programs for reading can only benefit students. There are no cons in allowing students to read material of their choice for a few minutes out of a school day.
By Jenna Reel