PICTURE
HERE!
Summer Learning Loss:
Problems and
Research-Based
Solutions
Judy B. Cheatham, Ph.D.
Scholastic FACE Symposium
October 1 & 2, 2012
New Orleans

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RIF Overview
Founded in 1966, RIF is the nation’s oldest and largest children’s and families’ literacy non-profit.
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RIF Overview
• Vision: A literate America in which all children have access to books and discover the joys and value of reading.
• Mission: RIF is dedicated to motivating young children to read by working with children, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.
• Focus on Children 0-8 years
• Multicultural Initiative
• Parent Engagement
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Books For Ownership Program Overview
What?
• Book distributions
• Activities that encourage reading
• Family & community involvement
Where?
• 17,000 sites such as schools, libraries, Head Starts, clinics, and community centers
• All 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia
Who?
• Organizations serving children with an average of 80% or greater free and reduced meal eligibility
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RIF Targets At-Risk Children
• Low-income children, particularly in highpoverty areas
- 80% or more eligible for free or reduced lunch
• Military families
• Children with
Disabilities
• Foster children, homeless children, and migrant children
• Children without access to libraries
• Institutionalized or incarcerated children
• Children whose parents are institutionalized or incarcerated
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RIF Impact in 2011
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RIF Impact to Date
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30
25
20
15
10
5
0
$24.8 million
RIF's Federal Funding in FY10
$0
RIF's Federal Funding in FY11
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• For FY11, Congress voted to eliminate the federal funding RIF has received since 1976.
• In FY12, Congress provided $28 million for a national literacy competition through the
Department of Education—half for school libraries and half for national literacy organizations.
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71% of children living in poverty cannot read at the most basic level.
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America’s Literacy Crisis
• In low-income neighborhoods, there is only 1 book for every 300 children.
• 34% of children entering kindergarten lack the basic language skills they will need to learn to read.
• Only 1 in 5 low-income children read on grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
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What Do We Know About Children and Reading?
• A child from a low-income family enters kindergarten with a listening vocabulary of 3,000 words, while a child from a high-income family enters with a listening vocabulary of 20,000 words.
• 88% of children who have difficulty reading at the end of 1 st grade display similar difficulties at the end of 4 th grade.
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What Do We Know About Children and Reading?
• 75% of students who are poor readers in 3 rd grade remain poor readers in high school; after 3 rd grade, cognitive demands increase yearly.
• 36% of American 4 th graders read below the Basic level on NAEP.
• Among 4 th graders, 58% of African-American, 54% of
Hispanic, and 52% of American Indian children scored below the Basic level on NAEP.
• 54% of all 4 th graders eligible for free or reduced lunch scored below the Basic level on NAEP.
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National Assessment of Educational Progress:
Sources: National Center for Educational Statistics
Note: NSLP = National School Lunch Program (provides free and reduced-priced lunches to children of lowincome families.)
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LITERACY (reading, writing, listening, speaking) is the VEHICLE to content material,
• Science
• Social Studies
• Mathematics
• Health
• Technology
• Engineering
ESPECIALLY when LEARNING TO READ changes to READING TO KNOW
.
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Math
China (PRC)
Literacy Issues Can Affect Content . . .
Current State of Affairs: PISA
Science
US
US
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Current State of Affairs: Science NAEP
 Overall, 65% of 8 th grade students scored at or above Basic in 2011
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian/Pacific
Islander
American
Indian/Alaska Native
Race Gap
Gender Gap
M
F
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7 Things a Person Needs to Know to Read English:
Back to Basics
1. The alphabet
2. Sounds and symbols
3. Concept of print
4. Vocabulary
5. Spelling patterns
6. Lots of sight words
7. Reflective practice
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Children of Welfare Families
Children of Working Class Families
Children of Professional Families
0 500 1000 1500
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From Research in the Second Language Field . . .
Vocabulary: BICS vs. CALP
• Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills
( 2 years to develop for ELLs)
– Develop through social situations in informal school settings (cafeteria, playground, school yard)
Cummins, 1984; Echevarria, Voght Short, 2008
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From Research in the Second Language Field . . .
Vocabulary: BICS vs. CALP
• Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
( 5-7 years to develop for ELLs)
– Content vocabulary (Tier THREE)
• Appears in specific areas of knowledge (math, science, social studies, literature)
• Is TIER THREE vocabulary
• Is not used frequently
• Is thus more difficult for learners to internalize
Harmon, Wood, & Hedrick, 2006
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• Learning loss that occurs anytime children are not in school (summer as well as winter, fall, and spring breaks)
• First documented in 1906 , teacher of mathematics
• Subjects most affected – those that rely on skills that require:
- constant repetition
- multiple opportunities for practice and feedback
- with a goal of automaticity
- like reading, writing, math, TIER THREE vocabulary
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The Loss?
• One month to three or even more of learning from the PREVIOUS school year
The Implication?
• First day of school of new year: some children know half to all the content material for the coming year; other children have lost 1/4 -1/2 year of learning from last year
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• Middle income families – Enrichment activities in the summer:
* parent at home, more educated
* travel
* camps
* bookstore and library in home or neighborhood
*enrichment programs, classes
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• Kim and White (2008) study
• To prevent “decay” of children’s reading ability over summer, children need a program with at least the FOUR following components:
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1. Access to books (6-8)
* at the individualized (lexiled), appropriate level of difficulty for each learner
* with choice of topic within the lexiled level
2. Scaffolded activities and motivators
3. Professional development
4. Parent involvement
(Kim and White, 2008)
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• Voluntary summer reading intervention program with
* books based on lexiles and student interest
* specialized instruction by teachers, and
* directed scaffolding by parents
RESULTED in 1.7 to 5.1 months of additional learning!
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Many times,
• Parents do not believe they can help.
• Parents do not feel welcome at school.
• Schools do not provide advice to parents
• Schools fail to alert parents about problems.
• Parents feel intimidated by the school or vice versa.
• Communication is not two-way.
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• Lack of childcare
• Lack of transportation
• Lack of common language/culture
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“Does a Summer Reading Program Based on Lexiles
Affect Reading Comprehension: A Final Report”
• Large scale, multi-districted study
• 8 books, matched to reading level and interest area, chosen at the first of the summer
• Weekly postcard to parents
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• Program did not “move the needle” in terms of improving reading scores
• Wilkins et al. concluded that, based on what research says, this one did NOT include scaffolded materials, teacher staff development, multiple summers, parent involvement, student responses to texts
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RIF - proposes a program that focuses on
SUMMER READING as part of a “cradle to career” school/family literacy initiative featuring
• Books
• Activities
• Motivational events
• Motivational collateral
• Staff Development
• Parent involvement
• Parent contact
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• Choice and lexiles
• 6-8 per child, per summer
• Based on common core
– Half narration
– Half exposition
• STEAM-themed
– Tier 3 vocabulary
– Cradle to career focus
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In-services and continuing focus on:
• Working with parents
• Helping children choose books
• Using the activities in the classroom and with parents
• Common core alignment
• Exposition vs. narrative
• Tiers 1,2,3 vocabulary
• Active learning
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• On-going affirmation about their roles
• Special meetings at Summer and Fall Back to
School Reading Celebrations
• Special attention to parent activity sheets and literacy calendars
• Weekly contact during summer reading, 6-8 weeks, via ways parents choose (text, phone, email)
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Developed according to best practices
• Prediction, reflection, content connections
• Reading, writing, listening, speaking
• Multiple opportunities for learning
• Extension activities cross content boundaries
(tier 3 vocabulary) and promote active learning
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1. Family summer celebration kick-off
 Book-bag and motivational/educational materials, including diary with both directed and free writing prompts
 5 books, arranged according to topics and lexiles on tables
 Food*
 Parent meeting, stressing parent’s role in children’s learning and motivational activities
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2. Weekly contact with parents, via the method they choose (text, email, phone call) by the school-based coordinator
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3. Four-week check-in
 3 books, on tables
 Flexible hours
 Another face to face time to touch base with parents
 Additional scaffolded materials
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• Whole school improvement
• Multiple year program
• Coordinator should be local and know parents
• Pre-test and post-test
• Keep your eyes on yearly progress from year one
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• NOT the end;
• Book People Unite!
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