Summer Book Giveaway
Goal of the Program
Decrease the reading achievement gap for students who may not have access to quality literature over the summer break. We want to create a level playing field for all our students.
Summer Slide
Losses from the “Summer Slide”—learning or reading skill losses during the summer months are cumulative, creating a wider gap each year between more proficient and less proficient students.
It is estimated that the “Summer Slide” accounts for as much as 85% of the reading achievement gap between lower income students and their middle and upper income peers. During the school year, lower income children’s skills improve at close to the same rate as those of their more advantaged peers but over the summer, middle and upper income children’s skills continue to improve, while lower income children’s skills do not.
How do we help?
Upon collaboration and consultation, this year carefully selected 9 Langley Schools with a total of 310 Grade 4 students to participate in the program. Students are told that they have won a reading package prize and can come to the library to select books. When they come to the library, they see a beautiful book store set up full of books. They get to shop in round 1, then come back for round 2 (create fair pickings).
The Results & Feedack
We achieved enormous support and excellent responses.
A special story to melt your heart and show how this event impacts our school and students: One of my students, M, hates, hates, hates books, library, me, the whole thing! His team and I have been struggling all year to keep him in class during library, and connecting his interests to books. We’ve bought books to peak his interest like Fortnite, Pokemon, you name it, he hates it. Well I’ve been participating in this year’s Summer Indigenous online events and we met the author of “Nibi’s Water Song” on June 1st. I did a whole lesson with her class, had a hot chocolate party, and we watched as the author talked about how not all Canadians have access to clean drinking water. Student M is not participating during this lesson and is working at the back of the room with his SEA on a preferred activity. Flash forward to this week during the book read aloud. M walks in and walks straight over to the only copy of “Nibi’s Water Song” and declares that he “must have it”. He fills his back with 7 other items. He asks me to read with him and proceeds to read the entire story to me. He then reads the back commentary from the author, which describes ways to spread the message. He then says, “I should read this book to the whole school.” Mind blown!! So now this child and I will be reading this story to the whole school on June 21st over Teams. My goal is for every student to find a book or series that they love. For them to discover a love of reading and to see themselves as readers! This event was so exciting for all of our students, but I think may have turned one student into an engaged reader.
The students were squealing all the way down the hallway with excitement and pride! They enjoyed the whole experience and two students started reading the books as they waited for their friends to finish
shopping. The students were shocked and delighted to find out that they could keep the books. For many of them, they do not have the means to purchase “forever books”.
We couldn’t do this without the support of the Langley Sunrise Rotary, Tzu Chi Foundation of Canada, the Langley School District Foundation and the Langley Literacy Network. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Jennifer Fernandes (SD35 District Teacher Librarian)
