Every educator knows the reality of the summer slide. Once school is out, many students don’t continue with academic ventures during the summer months, and they return from summer vacation having forgotten some of the things they worked so hard to learn the previous year.
For reluctant readers, summer is a time when many forget about reading and writing. Some don’t even pick up a book because they are not motivated to read something that’s not assigned.
Parents and teachers may struggle to help students continue to learn over the summer. As a former Title I teacher, I have seen many students make great gains during the school year but return in the fall having lost a lot of progress.
On the other hand, there are students who look forward to summer because it affords them extra time to dive into the growing stack of books by their bedside.
One way to ensure that students have access to summer reading material is by participating in programs such as LitPick Student Book Reviews, which provides books to students in exchange for their honest reviews. The reviews are posted on LitPick’s website, and students receive valuable feedback on their writing.
Students have said that LitPick has helped improve their reading and writing, develop close reading and comprehension skills, and discover new genres that they enjoy.
Here’s what a few students had to say:
- “Since joining LitPick, I can read much faster than I used to. I find that my imagination has expanded as well, which helps when writing.”
- “LitPick has helped my writing a lot. Writing is hard for me. I have been in the United States for about three years. In Nigeria, I learned and spoke British English, but I really learned a lot when I came here. I really like to read. Fantasy is my favorite type of book. I like to tell others about the books I read and hope my friends will like the same books. With LitPick, I can tell everyone about the books I read. I can work on my writing too. People say I have strong opinions. This is a good way to share them.”
- “LitPick has helped me grow as a reader by further developing my close reading skills and introducing me to new genres/writing styles. Through LitPick, I have read and enjoyed different genres of books that I wouldn't have picked up before. LitPick has helped me grow as a writer by causing me to pay more attention to what makes a book good or bad, which I can now apply to my own writing.”
Teachers and parents are always looking for ways to keep students reading without it feeling laborious or like an assignment. Both children and adolescents need breaks in order to be refreshed, but during the long summer months they also need to be engaged in activities that promote learning and exercise the skills they’ve worked so hard to acquire.
As a teacher, I have witnessed firsthand the relationship between choice and reading motivation. LitPick allows students to choose from a selection of available books. By providing students with choice as well as an outlet to share their thoughts, the program helps foster an authentic love of reading and demonstrates the power of words.
Most U.S. schools have a month before school starts up again—it’s not too late for students to polish their reading and writing skills in time for September.
Tynea Lewis is a site administrator at LitPick Student Book Reviews. A graduate of Millersville University of Pennsylvania’s elementary education program (with an added certification in K–12 library science), Lewis is a former teacher and an ILA 2016 30 Under 30 honoree.