Lyman C. Hunt Jr. has held a place in seminal literature since the 1960’s when he first made the case for the value of sustained silent reading in all classrooms, no matter their grade level and/or content. Dr. Hunt coined the acronym U.S.S.R. (Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading) that was used in many Vermont schools, K-12, for years. Dr. Hunt believed that students become better readers by reading more. He was a firm believer in the value of quality text for children. Lyman knew then, as we do now, that all our readers, even our most tangled, need time with text to work out and use the strategies that will help them bring meaning to the text. His noted research on independent reading made a big difference in Vermont schools. Lyman’s legacy lives on in literature rich classrooms, full of deep thinking and conversation around text, with intentional scaffolding of instruction for all readers!
The Lyman C. Hunt Jr. Award is awarded annually by the Executive Board of the Vermont Council on Literacy at the Spring conference. An award is presented by the President or his or her designee. This award is given to an individual who demonstrates that he/she has a philosophy of reading, which includes, but is not limited to:
- A true love of books
- Recognition of the importance of silent reading
- Compassion for the low-powered reader
- Integration of reading and other learning areas
- A knowledge of children’s literature
- Contributing to the field of literacy
The recipient must be one who promotes a better understanding of the reading process in the community at large and whose contribution to reading instruction has made a significant impact on students in Vermont schools.
The Lyman C. Hunt Jr. Reading Award may be awarded to an individual or collective group from any segment of society and is not limited to the education profession. Parents, legislators, news media personnel, etc. are eligible for nominations.
The Executive Board of the VCL would like to encourage members to submit nominations for this award. Please submit your nominee digitally to VCL Board at info@vermontcouncilonliteracy.org, by April 1.
Please include:
- Name of nominee with address information. This must include an email address.
- A written response to the following is required:
- How has this individual contributed to the field of literacy in Vermont beyond the single classroom?
- A written response to the following is required:
Please attach applicable testimony for the individual nominated.
