LM_Summer_2017

Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams didn’t need scientific studies to understand the phenomenon of “summer slide”—the learning loss that can take place when students do not engage in educational activities during the summer break. She has seen it firsthand in her years as a teacher and later as a superintendent. That’s why she introduced the “Making Magic happen for Our Kids” summer reading engagement program eight years ago in Hazel Crest School District 152 ½. The program includes such opportunities as access to more than 10,000 books through myON, an online digital library for which the district has contracted. Students also have access to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt print and digital reading materials as well as using the Renaissance Accelerated Reader computerized reading comprehension program. All of that is especially useful during the school year, when students have access to 1:1 digital devices and internet connectivity provided by the schools. However, Harrison- Williams knew that more needed to be done to provide opportunities for all students in the south Cook community of Hazel Crest, where state report card information indicates that 99 percent of students are from low-income homes. “Experts agree that children who read during the summer months keep their reading skills sharp and are better Hazel Crest’s readingprogram aimedat stopping ‘summer slide’ By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

Sheila Harrison-Williams, PhD IASA President-Elect Superintendent, Hazel Crest #152-5

prepared for the challenges of the next grade level,” said Harrison-Williams. “We have some wonderful online options for our students, but we understand that not every child has internet access away from school. That’s why we came up with the idea of our Scholastic Summer Reading Pack.” Every student in grades K-8 receives a book pack that includes four or five paperback books appropriate for the student’s grade level. Parents are introduced to the program during parent-teacher conferences and provided with a sample reading packet with activity sheets earlier during the school year. During the final week of school, teachers provide students with an introduction to the program and engage in activities before passing out the packets. When students return to school in the fall, teachers will have lesson plans for students to discuss, reflect and share their thoughts about the books they read over the summer. “This book pack will also provide families with an opportunity to spend quality time with their child helping to build comprehension, vocabulary and critical thinking skills,” Harrison-Williams said. “I hope that by exposing children to exciting books written by popular authors and featuring a wide range of engaging characters, we can encourage all Hazel Crest students to become lifelong readers and learners. When this happens, the world opens and everything becomes possible for all children.”

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