The discussion question might support the curriculum, focusing attention on the climax, or the author's point of view, or some other element of literature that the teacher has introduced in class. In some classes, teachers invite students to work in pairs during SSR time. As the students read, they talk about their expectations, their surprises, the things they like and dislike. They read with their friends in mind, marking places to share, she adds. Some teachers combine SSR with dialogue journals.
Students share things in their journals about the books they're reading.
Or the teacher might sometimes provide a question for everybody to respond to in their journals. Then the teacher responds to each student's journal entry. Teacher responses often include another question that will prompt deeper understanding of the material. Some people think dialogue journals and SSR are a bad mix. SSR should be independent reading uncluttered by follow-up, they say.