Summer Edition – August 2010
|
“Outside
of a dog, there’s no better friend than a book. |
Did you know that the New York Standards for English Language Arts require middle school students to read 25 books every year? Do you read 25 books a year? This can be quite a challenge for many adolescents but the benefits of doing so are innumerable. Summer reading is one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile things that our middle school students can do, yet the NY Times reported recently that “many children and teenagers read few if any books during the summer break.” According to the International Reading Association, “Summer reading loss is a documented reality for many students. Of all the activities in which children engage outside of school, time spent actually reading is the best predictor of reading achievement—the more students read, the better readers they become (Allington, 2006).”
I
discovered the joys of summer reading (and of reading in general) when
I was about 13 years old. On Memorial Day weekend I got hit by a
car while skateboarding and broke my arm so I had to remain inactive
for July and August.
At the beginning of the summer, as I sat on my stoop
in Brooklyn watching all
my friends pass by to play basketball, or go
to the beach, I remember how sad I felt that I couldn't join them. My
school had a summer reading list from which you had to choose one book
to read before September. I read all the books on the list. Then I read
the books on my brother's list. When July turned to August I was so engrossed
in books that I didn't even notice my friends pass by. I realized that
the key to reading is to find books that you like. I've heard people
say, "I don’t like spinach, I never eat it ", but I've
never heard anyone say, "I don't like food, I never eat it." It's
the same thing with books. Find a book about something you like, and
it will turn you on to reading.
Our Literacy Leaders program is a great way to encourage your child to read this summer. Go to the link to find out about it:(http://www.jerichoschools.org/ms/library/literacyleaders2010.htm). Our librarians have suggested many great titles for students to get started. Students can get online and blog about the books they've been reading. I've been doing it. This summer’s Literacy Leaders theme is “Read the Book, See the Movie.” So, students are encouraged to read books that have been made into movies. I read the three Stieg Larsson books (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ET. Al.) so far. Once I started them I couldn't put them down. Trying to decide what my next book is going to be. Any suggestions?
Let your child see you enjoy reading. How about you and your child read a book together? Anything you can do to encourage your child to read during the summer will yield tremendous benefits. So enjoy what's left of the summer, go to the beach, or travel, but whatever you do, bring a book.
Allington, R.L. (2006). What really matters for struggling readers:
Designing research-based programs (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
