sustained silent reading (USSR) was the predecessor to SSR in many ways. In the 1970s and 1980s, this specific method of reading education was commonplace in many schools around the United States. The prevailing thought process behind USSR was that it would not only create better readers, but also increase students’ comfort levels as they navigated indexes, table of content sections, and even entire libraries citation. There are several notable organizations, acronyms, and celebrations that capture the essence of Sustained Silent Reading. Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) is an acronym meant to encourage young students to read for at least half an hour every day. In the United States, some educators celebrate "DEAR Day" every year on the 12th of April, the birthday of author Beverly Cleary. Some specific institutions such as libraries and schools may even celebrate "DEAR Day" during the entire month of April. See also Extensive reading Reading Learning to read Phonics References Learning Reading (process)