Ferris Makes Time For Reading

A person entering Ferris High School on Wednesdays at the beginning of second period might be surprised by the quiet.

No, classes haven’t been canceled. Students are using this time for Ferris’ new Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) program.

The program debuted Nov. 8 and will continue once a week for the rest of the school year.

The program was started because it was “one of the easy steps we can take to improve literacy,” said Bob Crabb, assistant principal.

The program lasts 18 minutes — three minutes from each of the six periods — and is intended to encourage students to read for pleasure. Faculty also must spend the time reading.

“We turn the phones off,” Crabb said. “It’s probably the secretaries’ favorite time of the week.”

Proponents say the program’s success depends on support from students and staff.

Cindy Miller, who teaches English, said she was optimistic when she first heard about the program but knew others “might not accept it initially.”

Maggie Timothy, a 16-year-old junior, was unenthusiastic at first.

“It’s stupid because I already read on my own. I don’t need other people scheduling my personal reading time,” Timothy said.

After the first day, Timothy changed her tune. “I enjoyed the Silent Sustained Reading,” she said. “It was nice not to have to think of anything besides reading.”

No one denies that literacy is important, but Stacey Ward, a history teacher, said she doesn’t believe this program will make a difference. She said she thinks “that SSR is the most ridiculous thing to come down the pike in a long time. Eighteen minutes a week won’t help. It needs to be 30 minutes each day, but we can’t do that.”

Ferris seniors Katie LaPlante and Mary Lee Weeks, both 18, have asked administrators to consider increasing the amount of time spent reading in class.

“Two more minutes from every class would make it half an hour,” Weeks said.

The two also would like to increase the program’s frequency.

“Maybe twice a week,” LaPlante said.