What Is the Value of Silent Reading?

Twenty minutes of my son's third-grade reading time is spent having the students read silently. Even the teacher reads during this time. Wouldn't some instruction from the teacher during this time be a more appropriate way to improve his reading? - Unhappy
Answer: What you have described is called Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). Teachers use it because they want their students to have daily practice in reading and to motivate them to read.
You are right about your son needing some input from the teacher. Much of the criticism of the effectiveness of SSR is the lack of teacher-student interaction. SSR works best when teachers make an effort to ensure that students are reading books that they can handle independently. Students also need to read a wide variety of books. Teachers should talk with students individually about what they are reading during the time allotted for silent reading. Plus, it's important that they listen to the students read passages and give them feedback on their reading skills. When teachers interact with the students, the students are far more likely to make better use of this silent-reading time.