R5: A Sustained Silent Reading Makeover That Works

Exploring the Value Added of a Guided, Silent Reading Intervention: Effects on Struggling Third-Grade Readers’ Achievement

“…When the classroom setting for independent, silent reading fluency practice lacked sufficient guidance and accountability, struggling readers often failed to read. However, as reported in several recent studies of independent silent reading, when the challenge level of texts and the task of reading independently and silently were carefully scaffolded and guided by the teacher, even third-grade struggling readers were able to engage successfully (Bryan, Fawson, & Reutzel, 2003; Kamil, 2008; Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2006, 2010; Reutzel, Fawson, & Smith, 2008; Reutzel, Jones, et al, 2008; Reutzel et al, 2010). …”

“…Students in the 40-min group evidenced significantly better reading achievement and comprehension than the group that read for 15 min. These and other studies over the past decade (e.g., Hiebert & Reutzel, 2010; Kamil, 2008; Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2006, 2010; Kuhn & Schwanenflugel, 2008; Reutzel, Fawson, & Smith, 2008; Reutzel, Jones, Fawson, & Smith, 2008; Reutzel, Jones, & Newman, 2010) have begun to provide a causal research base showing that students’ reading comprehension, fluency, and achievement can be benefitted by the opportunity to read independently and silently when specific conditions of reading fluency practice are implemented. According to recent research it also appears that using independent, silent reading as the means to practice fluency makes more sense developmentally and empirically for students who are older than age 8 years or at least in Grade 2 (Kuhn, 2004, 2005; Wright, Sherman, & Jones, 2004, 2010).…”