Shifting the Sands of Summer Reading

This study investigated ways in which summer reading programs (SRPs) support children’s recreational reading interests and habits and help to promote reading and literacy throughout the summer months. The primary research question was: How do children, parents, and library staff experience their public library summer reading program? This paper will present selected findings from the study related to children’s reading experiences in school and during the summer, reading games and incentives, and designing summer reading programs that emphasize the social aspects of reading. Findings from this study suggest that school and public libraries should consider moving away from traditional summer reading programs that include reading games and rewards and focus instead on providing children, their parents, and library staff members with greater opportunities to interact with books and reading, and one another, throughout the summer.

All Aboard the Darien Express! A Creative Mystery-Themed SRP

Storytimes. STEM initiatives. Outreach visits. Book groups. Together, these services form the foundation of youth library programming. Although a mix of programs is important to year-round librarianship, one time of year stands above the rest, providing a framework to draw people into the library in numbers far exceeding the school year. We speak, of course, of the pièce de résistance of youth library programming—summer reading programs.

A Cost–Benefit Analysis of Summer Reading Programs Implemented Under State Guidelines

This study investigated the costs of different summer reading programs and compared costs to the benefits of summer school as a way to avoid retaining students not reading proficiently at the end of third grade. Per pupil costs ranged from US$1,665 to US$2,194. The average cost was US$1,887 (range: US$266-US$5,552) with 82% of overall expenses attributable to personnel. Results indicate that offering summer reading programs could save schools across the state a total of between US$70.6 million and US$75.5 million in expenses related to providing an extra year of school had all eligible students been retained in third grade instead. This equates to about US$4 in benefit for every dollar invested in summer programs.

Instruction in District-Designed Intensive Summer Reading Programs

This study reports on the instruction provided in district-designed intensive summer reading programs. The Tier 3 intervention was provided to 374 students from 24 school districts who were not meeting the end of third-grade reading benchmarks; students were exiting third grade and entering fourth grade. Observations of the 40 classes were conducted near the beginning, middle, and end of the average 23 days of instruction, and analyzed to capture the proportion of time spent in various instructional groupings (e.g., whole class, small group) and components (e.g., phonological awareness, comprehension). Findings revealed that most time was spent in whole-class instruction, despite the need to offer students a more intensive intervention. Only two thirds of instructional time was spent specifically in reading-related activities. Approximately 30% of literacy instruction was code-focused (e.g., phonics), and 70% was meaning-focused (e.g., comprehension). The discussion addresses the alignment of observations with prior research on effective instruction and implications for designing future district-designed intensive summer reading programs.

“Somebody Signed Me Up”: North Carolina Fourth-Graders’ Perceptions of Summer Reading Programs

The long-term goal of the researchers involved in this study is to discover methods that public libraries can use to improve their summer reading programs (SRP) and expand participation of students from traditionally underrepresented groups. This small pilot study was designed to answer some important preliminary questions: How do children decide whether or not to participate in SRPs? What motivates children to participate and what barriers might inhibit participation? Finally, what factors might motivate those who do not participate to take part?

A Hook and a Book: Rewards as Motivators in Public Library Summer Reading Programs

Summer reading programs (SRPs) in public libraries have been a stalwart of programming for youth for more than a century. These programs are intended to encourage students to continue reading throughout the summer, practice communication skills, and develop a lifelong voluntary reading habit--a love of reading--in the context of a safe and friendly learning environment.

Under the Rainbow: Light the Way Grant Focuses on LGBT Families

It seems the best projects begin with a simple conversation, an idea mentioned in passing. For me and Erin Iannacchione, this is exactly how Family Story Time started.In 2012, I approached Erin about marketing public library summer reading programs to the families and young children at the LGBT Center of Raleigh Library only to find out they didn’t have any offerings for families and children. Soon I was planning our very first storytime.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Summer Reading Program in Community Libraries in Burkina Faso

During the summer of 2008, all students in the 4th grade classroom (aged 11-13) in each primary school in five villages in southwestern Burkina Faso were randomly assigned and invited to participate in one of three different summer reading programs, including a summer reading camp. This chapter presents an assessment of how much different summer reading programs offered to students at CM1 level (4th grade) improved reading capabilities. Effects of the various summer reading programs were measured by pre- and post-intervention written and oral reading assessments conducted on the school premises. The scores on the tests for the students who participated in the summer camps were higher than those of the students in discussion groups and those who received free books. There is, however, evidence that the project implementers did not randomly assign all students to the programs as intended. Controlling for initial test scores, therefore, the reading camps generated about 8% increase in scores, or an improvement in test scores of .5 standard deviations.