Understanding Student Reading Identities and the Influence of Silent Sustained Reading

This study used a quantitative research approach to investigate how students view themselves as readers. The purpose of the study was to identify the reading culture at a comprehensive high school in order to create a Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) program that was more responsive to student needs. Data from a school wide survey was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Additionally, a variety of correlation coefficients were run to analyze the relationship between aspects of student’s reading identities and their actions as readers. The findings suggest that having a positive reading identity and engaging in an SSR program do not produce student reading outside of class.