Benefits of sustained silent reading and self-monitoring for reluctant readers

This study examined the effect/impact of self-monitoring on reading achievement of reluctant readers during 20 minutes of sustained silent reading. Lexile scores were used as the measurement to evaluate student-learning outcomes. Seven, 9th graders (four male, three female) in an English/Language Arts (ELA) classroom participated in the study. Their initial lexile scores were under 1000 (as determined by the Scholastic Inventory) and identified as reluctant or underperforming readers. During the intervention, students participated in a sustained silent reading program for the first four weeks, then a self-monitoring strategy (reading logs) was incorporated into instruction. The Scholastic Reading Inventory Assessment (SRI) was administered to evaluate their learning outcomes