Let’s talk about the summer slide Significant Socio-economic Cumulative and long-lasting Urgent Making progress throughout the school year, losing ground over the summer months…

What the research tells us… US Horizons National illustration of the cumulative effect of summer reading loss Video clip Video clip NZ research Stuart McNaughton et al School achievement: Why summer matters al Link to TLRI site with PDF. Link to

Our students, our school community What do we know about: student reading levels at end of year? student reading levels at start of new year? home reading practices and access to books? family use of public library over summer? holiday reading promotion plans at our school?

Summer reading is all about reading for pleasure Students' own choice of books Aim for variety of reading material Reading a little and often each day works best Years : –Read 6 novels over summer to maintain reading levels –Read 10 novels over summer to increase reading levels

Summer reading - taking a strategic approach

Getting the students on board Students a Oromahoe School, photo used with permission Information about summer reading loss Access to books, reading material Encouragement Challenges, goals - intrinsic rewards Reading role models Take home “kits” for summer reading What else?

What can teachers do with their class? Preparation, promotion and practice In classes with lower summer reading loss, teachers: give students ideas about reading over summer help students choose suitable books encourage use of the library over the summer prepare students around reading strategies, metacognition, engagement share information with parents.

How can the school library be involved? books, enthusiasm and expertise! Extend loan limits for generous borrowing Do lots of promotion, eg booktalks, reviews, displays, booklists Help students and parents choose books Encourage participation in public library programmes Manage library routines eg stocktaking to ensure library open at end of year Student reading, Ahipara School, photo used with permission

Connecting with the public library What public library services are available for our students / families? Who does the school liaise with? How many students use the public library? How can we help students connect with public library programmes? What ways can teachers model using the public library?

How can we help parents? Provide guidelines around: making time for reading – “little and often” helping their children choose “just right books” keeping reading enjoyable how to listen to children read being a reading role model where to get books from power of reading aloud

What are we going to do at our school to encourage teachers to read children’s / YA books over the summer? Teacher at Ahipara School reading, photo used with permission

What summer reading initiatives can we put in place at our school? 1. In-school initiative Student learning need/objective identified eg Maintain student reading over summer 2. Planning Collaborative plan to trial initiative to maintain reading 3. Development Resources put in place for trial 4. Implementation Initiative trialled with small group of students. Student learning outcome/s discussed with Principal/staff 5. Sustainability Successful initiatives become “how we do things” in our school Evidence in Practice Evidence of Practice Evidence for practice Eg McNaughton research, in-school data…

Visit Services to Schools Summer reading pages

Brainstorm / Discussion / Action Planning about summer reading initiatives for our school community