Reed Releases Summer Reading List
Move over Oprah Winfrey – Indiana has its own book list. Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed today released a summer reading list to encourage Hoosier students to continue reading throughout summer vacation. Summer reading has been proven to improve students’ academic performance in reading and other school subjects.
“Students need to know reading isn’t just something you do in school,” Reed said. “Summer vacation is a great time for students to have fun while improving their reading skills for the upcoming school year.”
Available online at www.doe.in.gov/summerreading, the list includes more than 150 book titles suggested by Indiana educators for students of all ages. The list offers a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles for each grade span (primary, middle school, and high school), including a representation of Indiana authors at all levels to familiarize students with local writers.
Parents and families are encouraged to ask teachers what level of reading material their student might need for the summer and to preview every title for appropriateness of content, interest, and reading level before giving the book to a child. While selecting a title for their children, parents should consider picking up a book for themselves the next time they visit a library or bookstore, Reed notes.
"It is important that we let our children see us read," Reed said. "Adults need to serve as role models for students, so they know that reading is an important – and enjoyable – activity at any age."
Research shows parents with strong literacy skills help their children succeed in school. Studies by the National Coalition for Literacy found that:
- As the education level of the mother increases, so does the literacy level of the child.
- Families who participate in family literacy programs showed a dramatic increase in children’s school attendance during and after the program.
- Oral communication prepares the way for children in learning to read. When adults use a larger vocabulary it affects their children and their ability to learn.
The severity of the literacy problem in America was made evident by a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics demonstrating that 13 percent of all adults in the U.S. had Below Basic prose literacy. This translates to 30 million adults who are unable to meet the lowest levels of literacy performance, such as signing a form or adding the amounts on a bank deposit slip. The study also linked levels of literacy with employment and earnings. More adults were employed full-time and median weekly earnings rose at each level of increased literacy. The complete study is available at www.nces.ed.gov/NAAL.
Additional Student Reading
Hoosiers interested in finding additional age-appropriate reading materials for students may access the Indiana Reading List at www.doe.in.gov/standards/readinglist.html. Adopted as a companion piece to the state’s academic standards for English/language arts, the selections provided in the Indiana Reading List illustrate the quality and approximate complexity of materials to be read by students at each grade span. Though the Indiana Reading List is not required reading for students nor is it meant to be all-inclusive, community libraries and schools are encouraged to use the state’s list in developing local reading selections.