Schools

Point Pleasant District Fights 'Summer Slide' with Summer Reading Program

Written and submitted by Point Pleasant Boro School District:

POINT PLEASANT, NJ (June 2, 2014) – Parents and educators know that summer reading is the key to enhancing children’s skill retention during the summer months. Research has proven that children that don’t read or participate in any education activities during the summer can lose two-to-three months of grade-level equivalency, in a phenomenon called the “summer slide,” which can have significant lasting consequences.

“Experts agree that reading during the summer months can be the most effective means of combating the summer slide,” said Point Pleasant Schools’ Director of Curriculum & Instruction Susan Ladd. “Children who read during the summer months don’t just retain their literacy skills, they actually gain them, which leads to increased academic performance when school resumes, while the inverse is true for children who do not read during the summer. These children often slide backward, losing literacy skills and reading progress.”

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For the past six years, the Point Pleasant Borough School District has sought to mitigate the affects of the summer slide with its annual Summer Reading Program. The district continues the tradition with the Seventh Annual Summer Reading Program, which kicks off this Friday, June 6.

“The Summer Reading Program presents the perfect opportunity for our students to develop a love of reading,” said Ms. Ladd, who, along with a committee, oversees the Summer Reading Program. “There are no limitations on summer reading, students are able to select the books they read. And as long as the books they select are appropriate to their reading level and ability, they can read almost anything. And the benefits are recursive – because students choose their own reading material, they are much more likely to enjoy what they’re reading, which will lead to increased voluntary reading, and ultimately, to increased proficiency.”

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Borne from a partnership between the District and the Point Pleasant Borough Branch of the Ocean County Library, Point Pleasant Borough’s Summer Reading Program correlates to a national Summer Reading Program run by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), a grassroots organization responsible for developing the annual themes as well as resources for local libraries.

“In alignment with the national program, Point Pleasant Borough’s local Summer Reading Program’s central themes are Fizz, Boom, Read! for students entering grades one through six, and Spark A Reaction, for students entering grades seven through 12,” said Ms. Ladd. “These themes provide the program’s overall framework, influencing school themes and guiding exciting activities occurring at the Point Pleasant Borough Library throughout the summer. These activities help to further engage students in the books they read, further enhancing their enjoyment of reading.”

According to Ms. Ladd, the Seventh Annual Summer Reading Program runs for 12 weeks, from Friday, June 6th through Saturday, August 23, 2014. Throughout the duration of the program, students are to record every book they read on specialized Reading Logs available from the District’s school librarians as well as the librarians at the Point Pleasant Borough Branch of the Ocean County Library.

“After students read their grade level’s specified number of reading-level appropriate, books, they should submit their completed Reading Logs to their school librarian until the end of school year, after which time, the Logs should be brought to the Point Pleasant Borough Public Library where they will be stamped for approval and held by the library staff through the end of this year’s program,” she said.

“At the conclusion of the program, our committee will tally each students’ submissions to determine Top Readers from each grade and school,” she said. “Each Top Reader will win a great prize pack full of gift certificates for local establishments! Plus, I’m pleased to announce that once again, the District will be working with a number of community and school-related organizations to secure the grand prize incentives, which, this year will be Kindle Fire tablets. All Summer Reading Program participants will have a chance to win one of four Kindle Fire tablets! One participant from each of the District’s four schools will be selected via random drawing to win their school’s grand prize." 

All students who elect to participate in the program will be recognized in a school-based program, as well as by the school district and the community in a special recognition program in September. All winners will be announced in September.

“For the past six years, the Summer Reading Program has been cultivating an appreciation for reading among Point Pleasant Borough students,” said Superintendent of Schools Vincent S. Smith. “In that time, we’ve observed the program’s participants demonstrate greater retention over the summer and improved academic performance during the school year. And as we prepare to launch the Seventh Annual Summer Reading Program later this week, I just want to say, keep up the good work!”

Point Pleasant Borough Schools’ Summer Reading Program is open to all Point Pleasant Borough Schools’ students who will be enrolled in grades one through 12 this September. Participants should take care to submit the appropriate Reading Logs.

For full details regarding the Summer Reading Program, please visit the Program website at www.pointpleasant.k12.nj.us/SRP14/index.html.

 


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