Summer Reading?

I am sure by now all our students have completed reading one book from the summer reading list. But what would really make me happy is if all our students read every book on the list and then some! I honestly don’t think it is too much to ask; daily reading of all kinds of literature should be the norm.

The most important skill that students can acquire is the ability to read critically and for meaning. If we (school and home) want to develop students who are truly college, career and civic ready, then daily reading MUST become a habit; it isn’t an option and schools can’t do it alone!

Fifteen years into the 21st century has produced the first generation of children who are Digital Natives. Our students have more information at the swipe of a finger or the click of the mouse – a positive change – but only if they can navigate through all that text and use it to become more engaged in the world around them. Critical and meaningful reading skills matters more today than they ever have in the past.

Summer reading? It’s just not enough. Here at school we are making some changes to our expectations to create the space for more reading each day. At every grade level the homework in the English department will consist of 20 minutes of reading. The book should be selected by each student – anything they find of interest.

It needs to be scheduled much like dance class, football practice, piano and everything else our active kids are involved with! At the middle level we are challenging each student to read 10 books over the course of the school year. There are no prizes or ribbons. The reward is being a more informed and literate citizen. Students who have a daily study hall will be asked to read if they have finished their homework. We will have classroom libraries available and are working on getting e-readers for access to national magazines and newspapers.

Parents and guardians often ask how they can help at home. Here are some suggestions:

Let your child know what you are reading. It could be something work related or for pleasure. Discuss the main idea or something interesting related to the text. The Common Core Learning Standards even suggests texts such as manuals, legal documents and financial information.

Get a daily newspaper. It is sad fact that our local paper is no longer available on our doorsteps each morning – a fate that has plagued many small town papers. The New York Times is available for daily delivery and a subscription includes digital access as well. Most of the articles are well within the reading level of middle level students. And talk about high interest…just last week there was a big article on the video game industry and a synopsis of the new fall television season.

Is your child interested in sports? The human interest articles in the Sunday edition are excellent. Have a budding scientist? The Science Times section on Tuesdays includes both long and short articles on a whole variety of topics. Pick up a copy the next time you are grocery shopping…you won’t be disappointed.

Get a library card and head on down to one of our local branches. Talk to one of the librarians who are simply the best resources for what book is hot in the young adult genre. They can also make suggestions for book titles that pique your child’s interests. Look here for some excellent resources from Maxwell Library.

Ask questions about what your child is reading. Open ended prompts like: What did that remind you of? Or What was the best part so far? can help get the discussion started.

All of us here at CMS look forward to seeing your children back here next week. And you can be sure we’ll be asking about their summer reading!

We Celebrate Learning!
Beth