Published On: June 4th, 2017By Leticia Fehling

Aldine ISD Schools to Host ‘Family Library Days’ in June

Help foster a love of reading and prevent the summer slide. Plan to take part June 7, 14 and 21.

[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]T[/dropcap]he school year has ended and families are making summer vacation plans. There is one thing parents may not be thinking about: the dreaded “summer slide.”

All children experience a learning loss during the summer. Experts call this summer learning loss the “summer slide.” This occurs when students don’t read during the summer. Students who experience the loss are more likely to struggle when they return to school in the fall.

A [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]report estimates lost instructional time to be nearly two months. This translated roughly to 22 percent of the school year. According to Cindy Buchanan, reading is crucial. The stakes are high for students who don’t read over summer vacation. Buchanan serves as Aldine ISD’s program director for library services.

“Research shows that low–income families suffer a greater loss,” said Buchanan. “Not only do they fall far behind their peers, but they also experience cumulative effects.”

Let’s take a child in elementary school that doesn’t spend every summer reading. By the time this child reaches middle school, he or she may have lost as much two years worth of achievement.

Sociologists [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Karl Alexander and Doris Entwisle studied this cumulative effect. Their research showed this to be a primary cause of widening achievement gaps. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Donald Hayes and Judith Grether also studied this effect. Data showed a clear difference between rich and poor students. There was a seven-month difference in scores at the beginning of second grade. But the learning loss mounted during four summers. It led to an achievement difference of 80 percent between rich and poor students by the end of sixth grade.

[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Summer slide affects millions of students each year in the U.S. — but it doesn’t have to.

Summer is a great time to help children fall in love with reading. Experts agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills. They also do better in school.

“Reading during the summer is a great way to help close the achievement gap,” said Buchanan.

Students will be able to [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]check out books at Aldine ISD school libraries this summer. They can even go to a school library they not zoned to attend.

Did You Know …

[ul class=”list list-search”] [li]Summer reading habits are critical in developing the foundation for later success.[/li] [li]Students that read more, read better. They also write better, spell better, and have larger vocabularies. They also have better control of complex grammatical constructions. Students also score better in writing, reading and math skills. [/li][/ul][ul class=”list list-search”] [li]Children who enjoy reading will read more and become proficient at the same time.[/li] [li]The amount of reading done out of school consistently relates to gains in reading achievement and academic performance. [/li][/ul]

“Reading is the best antidote for the summer slide,” Buchanan said. “Parents play a key role in creating a culture of reading at home. This will make a difference in students‘ lives.”

Studies show that children who love to read come from an environment that values reading. That environment also has adults who are [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]reading role models.

Visit your child’s school library to learn more about creating a reading culture at home.

Plan to attend Family Library Days!

Event Dates: June 7, 14 & 21

Times: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Summer Library Campuses:

Aldine MS
Aldine 9th
Bethune Academy
Black ES
Bussey ES
Caraway Intermediate School
Calvert ES
Carroll Academy
Carver HS
Cypresswood ES
Davis HS
Davis 9th
Drew Academy
Dunn ES
Eckert Intermediate School
Eisenhower HS
Eisenhower 9th
Francis ES
Goodman ES
Grantham Academy
Gray ES
Hambrick MS
Hall Center for Education
Hill Intermediate School
Hoffman MS
Johnson ES
Kujawa ES
Lewis MS
MacArthur 9th
Magrill ES
Marcella Intermediate School
Nimitz 9th
Nimitz HS
Oleson ES
Orange Grove ES
Plummer MS
Sammons ES
Shotwell MS
Smith Academy
Spence ES
Stehlik Intermediate School
Stephens ES
Stovall Academy
Stovall MS
Teague MS
Thompson ES
Wilson Intermediate School
Worsham ES