For years, public libraries have been offering some form of Summer Reading Program for the youth in their communities. There is an abundance of evidence on the benefits of Summer Reading Programs in reducing the effects of summer slide and reducing the achievement gaps that can exist between students from low and middle income families. (For more resources look at http://www.summermatters.net/summer-learning-loss-increases-the-achievement-gap-diagram/ and https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/summerslide). In the last ten years, many public libraries and youth librarians have been asking the questions “Is a Summer Reading program enough?” and “How can we help reduce our students’ losses in mathematics and other subject areas?” The evolving solution to those questions is the transformation from Summer Reading Programs to Summer Learning Programs.
Tag: summer learning
Summer Reading and Learning is a Year-Round Community Effort
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) conference in Atlanta. It was a great reminder that Summer Reading/Learning is always on the top of not only our minds, but the minds of our partners in the community who share the pleasures of working with children when the regular school year is not in session. It seems we’re always in the midst of planning, conducting, and evaluating summer programs.
ALSC Teams Up with NSLA for National Summer Learning Day!
National Summer Learning Day (NSLD) is coming up on July 12! ALSC has partnered with the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) to spread the word about how libraries keep kids learning during summer break. Ways you can celebrate: We encourage you to host a program or event on July 12 to join in on the National Summer Learning Day fun! Check out some of the events already posted to the NSLA database. If you are hosting a special summer learning event, we encourage you to register it here so your community members can find it. Librarians are encouraged to participate in a read aloud of Trombone Shorty, which is the official National Read Aloud Book for NSLD! NSLA has a ton of useful resources to share the impact of summer learning in their Knowledge Center. Some of these resources include a Digital Action Toolkit for Museums and Libraries, an archived webinar on Summer…
Get Involved With Collaborative Summer Library Program
Do you know any children’s librarians who don’t have a summer reading/learning program? I know I don’t. Summer reading and learning programs are a major aspect of most youth librarians’ work. There are many other additional responsibilities that are a part of our job, I encourage you to use the resources of Collaborative Summer Library Program. This organization of member state libraries produces a wealth of information to make your planning and administration of summer reading/learning less challenging.