New Gateway Reading Council/ DKG Life Grant 2019:
Stop the Summer Slide! Read Books
It’s important for students to continue reading and writing during the summer. Without this continued practice, there is a greater chance for students to lose momentum and regress in their skills. Research shows that students in California are making gains during the school year, and then much of this learning is lost due to lack of practice when they are away from school in the summer months. Children who are given access to books over the summer perform 35-40% better on reading achievement rest than those without access to books. With a little help from parents and access to books, it’s possible to put the brakes on the summer slide and maintain momentum even on vacation.
Description of Project:
This project will get books into the hands of young EL children at high poverty schools in Sonoma County during the summer. It’s important for students to continue reading and writing during the summer. Without this continued practice, there is a greater chance for students to lose momentum and regress in their skills. Research shows that students in California are making gains during the school year, and then much of this learning is lost due to lack of practice when they are away from school in the summer months. Children who are given access to books over the summer perform 35-40% better on reading achievement tests than those without access to books. Many of these students do not live near a public library and do not have books in their homes. This project will give 2-3 books to each 1st grader and 3rd grader at a Title I School in semi rural Santa Rosa just before summer vacation. A packet of information promoting summer reading will also be given to each child. The packets will include: Tips for Parents to keep their children reading during the summer, a library card application, Information about the public library summer reading activities and a suggested book list for summer reading. In May DKG Eta Upsilon and Gateway Reading Council members will visit each of the four classrooms and give short book talks about some of the books children will be receiving to motivate the children to want to read the books. They will also discuss the importance of daily reading and explain the contents of the packet. A log will be sent home so that parents can record the books children read. Children that bring their log back to school in August and have read 5 books or more will participate in an ice cream party at the beginning of school.
Benefit
Approximately 96 first and third grade EL Title I students will greatly benefit from this project because they will have books which are easy to access and which they can read and reread. Providing books to these children will help stop the summer slide in achievement and help maintain students’ learning gains from the previous year.
Description of Project:
This project will get books into the hands of young EL children at high poverty schools in Sonoma County during the summer. It’s important for students to continue reading and writing during the summer. Without this continued practice, there is a greater chance for students to lose momentum and regress in their skills. Research shows that students in California are making gains during the school year, and then much of this learning is lost due to lack of practice when they are away from school in the summer months. Children who are given access to books over the summer perform 35-40% better on reading achievement tests than those without access to books. Many of these students do not live near a public library and do not have books in their homes. This project will give 2-3 books to each 1st grader and 3rd grader at a Title I School in semi rural Santa Rosa just before summer vacation. A packet of information promoting summer reading will also be given to each child. The packets will include: Tips for Parents to keep their children reading during the summer, a library card application, Information about the public library summer reading activities and a suggested book list for summer reading. In May DKG Eta Upsilon and Gateway Reading Council members will visit each of the four classrooms and give short book talks about some of the books children will be receiving to motivate the children to want to read the books. They will also discuss the importance of daily reading and explain the contents of the packet. A log will be sent home so that parents can record the books children read. Children that bring their log back to school in August and have read 5 books or more will participate in an ice cream party at the beginning of school.
Benefit
Approximately 96 first and third grade EL Title I students will greatly benefit from this project because they will have books which are easy to access and which they can read and reread. Providing books to these children will help stop the summer slide in achievement and help maintain students’ learning gains from the previous year.
Gateway Project: Parents as Literacy Partners cosponsored by DKG Life grant
During 2018-19 Five Title I schools with high EL populations in Sonoma County participated in Family Literacy Nights: “Parents as Literacy Partners” Program presented by the Gateway Reading Council and Delta Kappa Gamma Eta Upsilon Chapter members. A PowerPoint was shown detailing the importance of daily reading aloud to young children. Also, presenters modeled how to “Read Aloud” books and how to ask open ended questions using a Big Books in both English and Spanish. How to “read “wordless books was also modeled and practiced by parents with their children. In addition, parents practiced the read aloud and open ended questioning techniques with their children with their own small book with their children. Principals, Librarians, TK, K and 1st grade teachers also participated in the activities and learned the strategies while connecting with the families.
Each family received a copy of the book Jump, Frog, Jump or Salta, Ranita Salta in English or Spanish to take home and keep. Also, each family participated in a follow up enrichment art activity (making retelling cards which were compared to the story sequence and then pasted on a sentence strip) which helped children sequence the story events and retell the story which had been read aloud and practiced with their parents.
Bookmarks, an open ended strategy handout, a handout about the importance of daily reading, a suggested Read Aloud booklist and public library card applications in English and Spanish were given to each family and all teachers. A Jump, Frog, Jump book was given to each school library and at all schools a copy of the book was given to the principal to read to students. A label was placed inside the cover of each book mentioning the book was donated on behalf of the DKG LIFE Grant.
Overall Benefit: About 175 teachers, parents and children participated in the Literacy Night events. Parents and teachers understood the importance of daily reading aloud. As evidenced by the smiles and comments of the children they loved listening to and reading the books at the workshop as well as understanding the importance of using wordless books to develop oral language in both English and Spanish as well as creativity and vocabulary. Also, the parents better understood their role as partners in early literacy development of their children. In addition, Students, teachers, administrators and parents had a positive school literacy learning experience in both English and Spanish.
Each family received a copy of the book Jump, Frog, Jump or Salta, Ranita Salta in English or Spanish to take home and keep. Also, each family participated in a follow up enrichment art activity (making retelling cards which were compared to the story sequence and then pasted on a sentence strip) which helped children sequence the story events and retell the story which had been read aloud and practiced with their parents.
Bookmarks, an open ended strategy handout, a handout about the importance of daily reading, a suggested Read Aloud booklist and public library card applications in English and Spanish were given to each family and all teachers. A Jump, Frog, Jump book was given to each school library and at all schools a copy of the book was given to the principal to read to students. A label was placed inside the cover of each book mentioning the book was donated on behalf of the DKG LIFE Grant.
Overall Benefit: About 175 teachers, parents and children participated in the Literacy Night events. Parents and teachers understood the importance of daily reading aloud. As evidenced by the smiles and comments of the children they loved listening to and reading the books at the workshop as well as understanding the importance of using wordless books to develop oral language in both English and Spanish as well as creativity and vocabulary. Also, the parents better understood their role as partners in early literacy development of their children. In addition, Students, teachers, administrators and parents had a positive school literacy learning experience in both English and Spanish.