June 2010: The School Library Link to Summer Reading!
Friday, June 11, 2010 at 9:47AM Okay, so the school library isn’t open in the summer. However, we want to leave you this school year with some great tips on why you should encourage your kids to read this summer and how. Here are some great articles that make the case for the importance of summer reading. Check them out!
McGill-Franzen, A., & Allington R. (2003 May/June) "Bridging the Summer Reading Gap." Instructor, 112 no. 8.
In this article, educational researchers from the University of Florida cite research suggesting that children who read as few as six books over the summer break can maintain their reading skills at a level achieved in the preceding school year. Making a plan to read just six books this summer could help your kids get a head start in September.
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/25hkell
Miller, B. M. (2007) “The Learning Season: The Untapped Power of Summer to Advance Student Achievement.” Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 1-70.
Dr. Beth Miller provides an in-depth overview of the existing educational research on summer learning, which is described as the major factor in explaining the achievement gap between middle-class and disadvantaged students by the end of elementary school. Increasing summer learning can be as easy as a trip to the public library once a week.
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/5ntwgr
Anderson, R. C., Hiebert E. H., Scott J. A., & Wilkinson I. A. G. (1985). Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading [; ERIC]. Washington D.C.: US Department of Education, National Institute on Education.
This report written for the US Department of Education examines independent reading. Researchers found that the amount of reading done outside of school was consistently related to gains in reading achievement. Kids to engage in more reading on their own when they have greater access to books, which is another crucial reason to visit your public library this summer!
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/3xscpu2
Ed.gov, Pressroom (2009, June). Retrieved June 1, 2010, from Ed.gov web site
View the video online:
http://tinyurl.com/2ws3vzz
This video is an interview with the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, posted by the United States Education Department, in which Duncan addresses the need for more time to properly educate students. Duncan stresses that summer learning loss is a giant step backward for disadvantaged children.
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The Link to...Web Sites that Support Summer Reading!
Three Ways to Prevent Summer Slide
This article on Scholastic.com covers how to select books that your kids will be excited about reading and the importance of reading aloud.
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/23hetx3
2010 Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program
Barnes and Noble has an online summer reading program where kids can register and keep track of the books they read with BN’s Passport software. After reading 8 books, you earn a free book! The site also has a Parent Activity kit available for free download to encourage reading.
Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/35cncej
NEH Summertime Favorites
The National Endowment for the Humanities posts “Summertime Favorites,” a list of recommended reading, highlighting classic literature for young people from kindergarten through high school.
Check out some kids’ classics here: http://tinyurl.com/kwi4
2010 Notable Children's Books
Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
identifies the best of the best in children's books! Check out some award-winners
and other highly recommended books
for kids here:
http://tinyurl.com/yk9u6te
Reading Rockets Summer Reading Tips
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read and how parents and teachers can help. Reading Rockets is an educational initiative of WETA and is funded by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This page on ReadingRockets.com includes a summer reading webcast, parent tips, recommended summer reading, and much more! Visit http://tinyurl.com/2ercoxl
