What Every Parent Needs to Know
Summer vacation is here! It’s a time for rest and relaxation, but not always a time for reading. Keep learning alive this summer in your home and encourage your children to sign up for Summer Reading @ KDL. A break from books can lead to struggles in the classroom come fall. Regardless of other activities, the best predictor of summer brain drain or brain gain is whether or not a child reads during the summer.
In her “oldie but goodie” study, Summer Learning and the Effects of Schooling (Academic Press, 1978), Barbara Heyns followed sixth- and seventh-graders in the Atlanta Public Schools through two school years and the summer between. Among the findings of her research:
- The number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains.
- Children in every income group who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement than children who did not.
- The use of the public library during the summer is more predictive of vocabulary gains than attending summer school.
- More than any other public institution, including the schools, the public library contributed to the intellectual growth of children during the summer.
After learning all that, I know I’m going to really encourage my kids to read this summer and also take them to the library. How about you?
Posted by: Katie