More Schools Giving Students Books for Summer

Schools across the country are thwarting the “Summer Slide” by providing students with books to read over the summer months, according to a new report from Scholastic.

The children’s publisher has reported a continued increase in the number of school districts giving books away to students to take home during summer vacation. Schools are giving more than 2 million books to kids to take home before vacation starts.

“We’re seeing more attention than ever this year to the problem of summer learning loss, and more and more districts that are confronted with a growing population of low-income students who are less likely to have books at home,” said Greg Worrell, President of the Scholastic Classroom and Library Group. “Research clearly shows that kids who are given books to read during the summer – especially those children from low-income families – gain in their reading achievement, and we’re excited to work with districts to help them make this a summer of reading.”

Working with these school districts, Scholastic has created age-appropriate packets of non-fiction and fiction books that students can take home before the end of the school year. They are often combined with letters from superintendents or principals and suggestions on reading aloud and book discussions for parents. Some districts are even holding training sessions to coach parents on how to encourage and support reading and literacy at home.

With more and more school-age children living in poverty in recent years, districts have been especially focused on helping children from low-income families who are more likely to lose ground in their reading ability during the summer. Many of the summer book packs were purchased using federal Title I funds, targeting them for schools with more children from low-income families.

The research of Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has documented that students who receive books to read during the summer show significantly higher levels of achievement. They have also said that summer learning loss is the primary cause of the gap between the reading skills of students who have access to books at home and those who don’t.

Using Title I dollars, Bibb County, GA, is distributing packets of books containing activities and reading strategies to more than 24,000 students in grades PreK-11 across the county. The school district had 3,000 students, families and community members show up for a kickoff event called “Get Jazzed About Reading” that celebrated the importance of reading and literacy.

"In order for students to reach their full potential, they need a strong foundation in reading and writing, and with these packets, our families will have the resources to spend quality time with each other while building their comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills," says Dr. Romain Dallemand, Superintendent of Schools in Bibb County, GA. "The turnout at our kickoff event is proof this is a community that knows and understands the importance of reading to a child's future."

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