Reading is powerful and opens the world of imagination and knowledge for our children. In an effort to continue building upon our students’ love of books, the district will be implementing summer reading again in 2023.

Summer provides a wonderful opportunity for students to enjoy great books, while also avoiding reading loss or the “summer slide” that takes place when children are not able to read as consistently. The goal of the summer reading program is to foster a love of reading while children and families explore new books together. Students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 (rising 6th and rising 9th will have the appropriate book for their grade level) will each have their own novel. All students will be provided the required book. Refer to the chart below for the selected novel with a brief description.

So how can you make reading a natural fit for your summer? Here are some pointers:  

• Make sure your children are reading books that are on their level—not too easy and not too hard.
  
  
• Help them find books about things they are interested in—sometimes the key to getting a child to love reading is simply to find the right genre or author. 
  
  
• If a book at any grade level catches the interest of your child, certainly allow them to select the book. Students should have a good understanding of their personal reading comfort level from their learning experiences in ELA this school year.
  
  
• Bring your children to the library and/or make use of digital libraries. You can look at the additional resources chart below for plenty of free access to books!
  
  
• Talk to your children about what they are reading. Open-ended questions (What would you have done if you were that character? What do you like about this book?) can start a meaningful discussion and show your children that you value what they are reading. 
  
  
• Feel free to reach out to your child’s current ELA teacher for additional summer reading pointers.

We can’t wait for the 2023-2024 school year and to share in the love of reading with your child when they return!

If you would like to have access to a report about your student’s Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA information), this can be provided by your building principal or Tabitha Bendel. If you have any questions about summer reading, please contact Tabitha Bendel the Secondary ELA Curriculum Specialist.