Summer Reading FOR RHS STUDENTS

When High School Students Don’t Read According to the U.S. Department of Education, reading loss over the summer has a negative effect on student’s school performance: Numerous studies indicate that students who don’t read or read infrequently during their summer vacation see their reading abilities stagnate or decline. This effect becomes more pronounced as students get older and advance through the school system. The situation for economically disadvantaged students is especially grim: if students from low-income families don’t read over the summer, they are much more likely to fall behind their more privileged peers, widening the “achievement gap.” https://blog.ed.gov/2011/08/why-summer-reading-pays-off-year-round/

“But my kid doesn’t like to read…” Myths about teenagers and reading: *Kids don’t/won’t read *Kids will only read online or on a device *Kids who have good grades don’t need to read *Kids can’t find books they like *Kids are too busy with work, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, sports, homework , social media, etc.. to read

Teen Reading Myths Vs Teen Reading Reality *Teens will read! * Teens read best when they can pick their own books *Teens specifically state they prefer to read a “real” book *Teen who are doing well in school will keep improving *Teens who are lagging in grades will see their grades improve *Teens still need parents’ help to manage their time and their priorities

Opportunity for Modeling Teens want and need for us to to help them be the best they can be. We have to be active in their lives and have expectations that they must live up to. They will respect us for it later. Explain to your teen that reading will be a non-negotiable this summer and then set aside and enforce a time for reading.

Be a Reading Role Model *Set aside time for reading together *Get a book or a magazine and read with your teen *Turn off all TVs and put away devices *Select “real” books and magazine, so there is greater interest *Set a timer and don’t get up until you have all read for the time set *Talk about what you read/ask questions about what your teen read *Have a little reward after reading time

Reading and the ACT *The ACT is the most important test your student will take up to this point *ACT is the biggest factor in college admissions, scholarships, and TOPS *The ACT is a reading test: all four sections require reading skills *The ACT is a timed test *The best (MAYBE ONLY) way to improve reading speed and comprehension is through independent reading

Where to Find Great Books *Look for an end-of-year used book sale at Riverdale *Shop thrift stores and used book stores and sales *Visit the summer reading tables at Barnes & Nobles *Jennifer Bishop from the East Bank Regional Teen Room is planning a great summer with amazing activities for teens. Take your teen to the library!

Summer Reading Recommendations Fun books that are perfect for summer: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares Rebound by Kwame Alexander Looking for Alaska by John Greene

Reading the Classics Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Great Expectations by Charles Dickens The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Problems Novels: Things Teens Go Through The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Dear Martin by Nic Stone The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Suspense The Martian by Andy Weir Scythe by Neal Shusterman I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga Death Becomes Her by Michael Anderle Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Graphic Novels Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks March by John Lewis American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang Maus by Art Spiegelman Yummy by G. Neri The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds

Non-Fiction The Hot Zone by Richard Preston The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Microbe Hunter by Paul de Kruif Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer