The Effects of a Sustained Silent Reading Program on the Reading Attitudes and Habits of Second Grade Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) program on the reading attitudes and habits of second grade students. The subjects were two second grade classes from a suburban school in western New York. The control group of 25 students participated in a reading program using the basal and children's literature. The treatment group of 26 students participated in a reading program using the basal and children's literature plus. a daily fifteen minute period of SSR. The treatment group participated in SSR for ten weeks. The modified Estes Reading Attitude Scale and the Survey of student's Home Reading Attitudes and Habits were administered to determine the mean pre- and post-treatment reading attitudes for both the control group and the treatment group. The Student Attitude Survey Toward SSR was also used to determine the treatment group's attitude toward SSR. The statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the mean posttest scores of the control group and the treatment group as measured by the modified Estes Reading Attitude Scale. The analysis also indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean posttest scores of the control group and the treatment group, in favor of the treatment group, as measured by the Survey of Student's Home Reading Attitudes and Habits. The responses on the Student Attitude Survey Toward SSR showed that a majority of the students, 84.62%, had highly positive feelings toward SSR.