Please see the attached list for a selection of suggested summer reading for all ages. We ask that middle and high school students read at least one book from the appropriate grade-level list, and high school students taking honors or dual enrollment courses should read a second novel of their choosing (whether on the suggested list or not) as well. There will not be graded assignments pertaining to summer reading, but students should be prepared to discuss their reading upon return to school in August.
The article below is from study.com (https://study.com/blog/why-is-summer-reading-so-important-for-kids-success.html).
Why Is Summer Reading So Important for Kids’ Success?
Summer reading is critical for students to retain knowledge and skills learned in the previous school year. Students who don’t read are at risk of falling behind their classmates. Parents and teachers can avoid this by making sure kids take time to read.
Summer Reading Defeats Summer Learning Loss
Reading over summer vacation may not be a priority for children, but parents and teachers should make it one. Why? Summer reading is critical to a child’s ability to not only retain information learned the previous year, but also to grow in knowledge and critical thinking skills for the coming year. Literacy expert Julie Wood believes that it is necessary for children to read on a daily basis in order to maintain literacy skills learned in the previous school year.
Exercise the Brain Over Summer
Assistant Principal Twana Santana-Embry likens reading to exercising. She encourages students to read in an effort to strengthen their reading skills. Just like exercising keeps muscles in shape, reading keeps the brain in shape. If you don’t exercise, you lose muscle, and if you don’t read, you will lose literacy skills.
A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, research study shows that children who don’t read over the summer lose at least two months of reading development. This is often referred to as ‘the summer slide’ or the ‘summer learning loss.’ On the other hand, students who do read over the summer may gain a month of proficiency in reading. Reading over the summer is not a suggestion to keep kids busy; it’s a critical requirement to help students stay on track for their entire educational career and beyond.
Increase Knowledge
Reading, in general, is highly effective at building up a child’s knowledge in a vast amount of subject areas, including English, math, science and history. Studies conducted by Dr. Alice Sullivan monitored the impact of reading in a child’s life from elementary through adulthood. These studies discovered a greater intellectual progress in vocabulary, spelling and math than that of a child not reading more than the required school amount. Clearly, reading is a strong tool for growing in comprehension skills and general knowledge of the world. This is why children who read are able to stay ahead of their classmates during the school year.
Talon Times 