I reminded myself that I hadn't written a blog entry in a while and I drew a blank on what to write...until the mail carrier came! She was loaded down with summer reading books that had been ordered for Tyler, Madison and yep, me.
My connection to summer reading has grown tremendously over the past two years, as I am the chair of the One Book, One Campus committee at Delaware State University. I'm going to be honest, I did not read the first book chosen by the committee at DSU as I was reading the book assigned to the 6th grade class at Meredith Middle School. Why you may ask? Because we found that the summer reading assignments weren't being done correctly! So in order to ensure that the book was being read and all work was being completed correctly I made the decision to read "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos...turns out it's a good book. I initially went to the internet to search for cliff notes but nothing works better than taking time to read and make sense of the text yourself.
Fast forward to this afternoon. After reading a summary assignment for this years book that has been assigned to Madison's class I found that once again there was a lack of comprehension. I immediately went to the internet but what I found this time was eye-opening. Madison is reading "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio. In my search for cliff notes I found several instructor guides or curriculums for this book. Some extremely detailed with chapter or section foci designed to engage students in a variety of ELA exercises ranging from comprehension, to vocabulary to character analysis. What stood out most was the fact that a lot of these resources were designed to provide students with an insightful journey through the eyes of a young boy who's a bit different. These are things that I noticed were missing from the exercises associated with Madison's summer reading from his school.
I asked myself at that point, are the teachers engaging in summer reading because it's the thing to do? A state requirement? And what is the significance of writing 10 chapter summaries and not challenging students to be more introspective as they reads books that touch on such real-life issues such as bullying, medical conditions and self-esteem.
It's important for me as an educator to make sure some time is committed to learning during the summer months but with a purpose. For the last two years it's been difficult for me to incorporate summer reading for the freshman in my entry level classes but this experience has challenged me to make reading the book "Buck" by M. K. Asante, meaningful for my college students.
According to the New York Public Library System, the purpose of summer reading is to improve literacy and to make sure that students have the skills necessary to meet the common core standards.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described summer learning loss as “devastating.” This is what researchers have often referred to as the “summer slide.” It is estimated that school summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected (1).
To this end, educators have a responsibility to make summer reading (summer learning as a whole) more impactful. Studies show that successful reading programs allow for the development of reading skills necessary for academic success. Young readers who have a reading experience in which they connect and engage independently, apply critical thought to characters and story lines learn to apply those skills in other academic areas.
Ideally, the experience shared by students should be one that connects students with each other once they return to school around one reader as well as sets the academic tone for the year. While critiques point out the down side of summer reading: the stigma attached to required work; if done correctly a greater sense of community is developed and students continue to hone one of the most important and pragmatic skills that one must possess.
We know that more reading makes better readers but it's not the quantity of books that are read...it's the quality of the reading that matters. Make summer reading count.
(1) http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/summer/research.htm
Mahogany Mom is a Blog about one African American Mom's Journey. My goal is simple; to share a piece of myself that will help other women, encourage discourse, critical thought and commentary, at times make readers laugh, and most importantly be a voice that shows women that they do not have to be afraid to embrace their lived experiences. (Photos courtesy Kylene Cleaver - Leave it to Me Photography)
