In my chapter, Closing the Summer Gap, I discuss inequity in the summer months as well as macro trends, policy trends and future directions for summer learning.
Chapter excerpt:
One common model is to focus on distributing books for young people to read at home during the summer. More than a decade of rigorous studies of summer reading programs in grades K–5, including formal, informal, and at-home models, have shown that these programs can prevent and reverse summer learning loss and promote multiyear advantages in reading for participants. Kim and White (2008) establish key components of this approach: matching low-income students in elementary grades with books based on their interest and ability, and including teacher-led oral reading scaffolding and checks for comprehension by an adult. Several studies confirm that access to books alone during the summer does not improve reading comprehension and that this model may not be effective for English language learners (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 2013).