Reading is the number one thing students can do over the summer to help maintain their academic skills and prepare for school in the fall. While we do not assign required reading over summer break to students K-12 in Andover, we sincerely hope all parents and caregivers will support our efforts to keep our students reading!

There is no wrong way to approach summer reading. It is ok for children and teens to read independently, to read aloud to a sibling or pet, or to be read to by a loved one (always a favorite). We encourage our students to listen to an audiobook or read something a little too easy or a little too hard. It doesn’t matter if it is fiction, nonfiction, a picture book, a chapter book, a graphic novel, or a magazine. Any approach that results in students engaging with a story is a success.

The summer reading program at APS is rooted in research that suggests summer reading should: 

• Promote a life-long love for reading informed by the power of student choice 

• Sharpen students’ reading and critical thinking skills 

• Promote students’ thinking about who they are as readers, as writers, as thinkers, and as speakers. 

While participation is optional for students in grades PreK-12, we are confident that the recommended texts will bring delight and enrichment to our school community.