PJCSD Libraries
Summer Reading
Need some tips as a parent to help keep your child reading this summer? Check out this great guide with tips and tricks created by Librarian, Mrs. Fox.
The concept of the summer slide has been on researchers’ radar since at least 1996, when one of the first comprehensive studies on the phenomenon was published. The study showed that kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year. A more recent study of children in 3rd to 5th grades also showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math during summer break.
Who Is at Risk?
Younger children are prone to the most learning loss because they’re at a crucial stage in their development. “In general, kids learn a lot more in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade than kids in middle school or high school, because learning follows a curve where it’s accelerated early in life and then plateaus,” says James Kim, Ed.D., an assistant professor of education at Harvard University. “Things like decoding, letter knowledge, and word reading skills are very susceptible to decay without frequent practice, as are math facts like addition and subtraction.”
Children from low-income families are also disproportionately affected by the summer slide, in ways that can affect them years into their education. In fact, research cited by Kim shows that more than half of the gap in reading scores between low-income 9th graders and their middle-income peers could be attributed to differences in summer learning accumulated between first and fifth grade.
The Port Jervis Free Library's Summer Reading Program is starting the first week of July. Anyone from 5th to 12th grade can sign up for the Teen Program for free, where they’ll be doing DIY crafts, trying out new hobbies, and getting book recommendations. You can sign up on their website.
Also, browse through their site for summer reading-related materials and resources. This year’s Summer Reading slogan is All Together Now, and the theme is all about kindness, friendship, diversity and inclusion. Public libraries across the state are planning many fun programs and events around this animal theme. This year, libraries across the state will be offering a selection of exciting online and virtual programming as well as in person and outdoor events. To join in the fun of Summer Reading and Summer Learning today, just find your local library website using our link, and register!