Dahlia Schilling

Does a summer literacy experience that uses diverse literature promote engagement and enjoyment in summer reading among elementary school students?

Started Mar. 26, 2024

Abstract or project description

Summer break leads to a loss of academic knowledge for many students, called “Summer Learning Loss” or “Summer slide”. During summer break many elementary school children typically experience a setback in their academic skill. While in the later primary school years (4-5th grade) students begin reading independently for extended periods of time, they still benefit from help understanding the deeper meaning of a text. Without guidance from an educator or guardian, a child can fall into a pattern or reading with superficial understanding. This study investigates if a summer reading program that provides curated diverse literature, continues to teach children reading comprehension strategy, and introduces them to authors mitigates the gap in literacy resources and engagement children face during the summer. To examine the effectiveness of the model data collection tools were used among the students include coding of conversations and behavior, self assessments, parent assessments and being scored on an engagement rubric. Early data collection shows high engagement and strong literacy development in the sample. Final assessments of the literacy program will give a complete view of this literacy experience as well as inform the future directions of this literacy research.