summer reading-going beyond the books

Going Beyond the Books

Summer Reading

ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts

Lindy Moore, MSLIS

Why Summer Reading Programs?

Summer Reading Programs:*Help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills and avoid the summer

slide

*Serve as valuable outreach tools for public libraries

*Reading is fun!

Why Summer Reading?

By the Numbers……

Right now, only 34% of Georgia's third graders are reading proficiently by the end of the school year.

This means 2 out of every 3 third graders cannot read proficiently in

Georgia. Why does this matter? Because third grade is when children

make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn. And if they cannot read, they won't be able to un-derstand nearly half of the fourth-grade curriculum. As a result, these children

fall even farther behind in school.

www.getgeorgiareading.org

By the numbers….According to a longitudinal study commis-sioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, children who can’t read by third grade are four times more likely to drop

out of high school. 

Individuals who do not complete high school are significantly more likely than high-school graduates to become incarcerated, become teen par-

ents, be subjected to violence as either an aggressor or a victim, be unemployed, and be recipi-

ents of Medicaid and welfare.

In 2013, only 21% of fourth-grade children from low-income families in Georgia could

read at or above grade level.

www.getgeorgiareading.org

So Why Should We Change?*Book lists are outdated (some are literally out of print!)

*Need to emphasize literacy in a more broad sense (Alvermann, 2012; Moll, 2000; Gee, 2008)

*More emphasis on embedding literacy into one’s life rather than rigid ideas like number of books or doing projects

*Even the BEST of programs need to be updated!

*Some people actually groan hearing the words summer reading…(really)

*Give kids choices=more responsibility for their learning.

*Common Core Curriculum embeds literacy in all parts of the curricu-lum, making reading more essential.

* Provide a variety of ideas for kids who cannot come in to a library.

If not book lists, then what?

Give kids a choiceWhen we offer children choices, we are allowing them to practice the skills of independence and responsibility (Maxim, 1997).

Being in control feels good, and builds self-esteem.

Making choices is part of problem solving, allowing children to stretch their minds and create new and unique combinations of ideas.

Children feel more committed to an activity they have cho-sen themselves (Grossman, 2007).

Research speaks for itself

Literacy is a broad concept that involves

many tools

Stories Maga-zines

Cook-books

Web-sites

Technol-ogy Blogs

Informa-tion

Reference Materials Forums

and the activities associated with those tools…

Explore Search Commu-nicate

Plan Discover Interact

Clarify Wonder Take ac-tion!

Talk Talking in a way that encourages children to talk will help them un-derstand what they later read: open-ended questions, tell and retell stories, talk about more than just here and now.

Sing Slows down language so children can hear the smaller sounds in words. New words.

Read Shared reading (interactive reading) is the single most important activity to help children get ready to read.

Write Reading and writing both represent spoken language. Begins with fine and gross motor skills.

Play Symbolic play (using one object to represent another), dramatic play (acting out and retelling stories), roleplaying help

LITERACY ACTIVITIESCross-curricular activities

Shows students that reading is more than just text in a book, demonstrating real life application.

Gives students more choice and control of their reading.

Adaptability for all age and reading levels.

Kids who read 5 large chapter books feel just as successful as kids reading 15 picture books.

Gives kids who cannot come into the library a chance to participate and not get left behind.

Your Turn!Got ideas?

Write your favorite literacy activity ideas!

All ideas will be recorded and emailed to par-

ticipants.

THANK YOU!Contact info:

Lindy Moore, MSLISCounty Librarian

West GA Regional Library Sys-tem

Douglas County Public Libraries6810 Selman Drive

Douglasville, GA 30134770-920-7125lindy@wgrl.net