Summer break is an important time for students and families to establish and monitor individual reading goals. Though it seems obvious, research studies confirm that "those who read more, know more" (Gordon 2008; Lu & Gordon 2007; McCombs et al., 2011). At SOHS, English teachers reviewed current research to establish department goals for summer reading:
· Since students who read more read better (Kruken 2004), we want to encourage students to read for fun as well as for academic purposes.
· Choice is an important part of student engagement in reading, so as much as possible, we want to provide students with choice in selecting fiction, nonfiction, and cinematic reading.
· Student projects will respect multiple intelligences and various learning styles as options for written and creative work.
· We do not want summer reading to be punitive. Therefore, students may earn extra credit for completing a creative or written assignment in English I, II, III, and IV.
In our AP and Dual Credit classes, students are given the opportunity to talk with their teachers about the required assignment both before school ends and before the new year starts. In AP and Dual Credit classes, summer reading assignments are due within the first week of the start of school.
Summer reading assignments are listed below by grade level and class. Students received this information on June 3 and 4, 2015.
· Since students who read more read better (Kruken 2004), we want to encourage students to read for fun as well as for academic purposes.
· Choice is an important part of student engagement in reading, so as much as possible, we want to provide students with choice in selecting fiction, nonfiction, and cinematic reading.
· Student projects will respect multiple intelligences and various learning styles as options for written and creative work.
· We do not want summer reading to be punitive. Therefore, students may earn extra credit for completing a creative or written assignment in English I, II, III, and IV.
In our AP and Dual Credit classes, students are given the opportunity to talk with their teachers about the required assignment both before school ends and before the new year starts. In AP and Dual Credit classes, summer reading assignments are due within the first week of the start of school.
Summer reading assignments are listed below by grade level and class. Students received this information on June 3 and 4, 2015.
Gordon, C. (2008). Action research meets summer reading. Knowledge Quest: Evidence-Based Practice. Vo. 37, No. 2.
Gordon & Lu. (2007). Reading takes you places: A study of a web-based summer reading program. Research Journal of the American Association of School Libraries. Vol. 10.
McCombs, et al. (2011). Making summer count: How summer programs can boost children's learning. Retreived March 15, 2015, from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1120.pdf
Gordon & Lu. (2007). Reading takes you places: A study of a web-based summer reading program. Research Journal of the American Association of School Libraries. Vol. 10.
McCombs, et al. (2011). Making summer count: How summer programs can boost children's learning. Retreived March 15, 2015, from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1120.pdf