Summer Reading Pilots Program

The Cause

We want to implement a free one-to-one summer reading intervention program for families. We will offer it as a week-long program during three separate weeks of the summer (late July and early August). This program will combat the well-documented "summer slide", where students lose or forget significant instructional material over the break.

Research indicates that this “summer slide” regression can have long-term impacts on students' reading skills and overall academic performance. Schools encourage parents to engage in summer reading activities; however, many parents do not feel equipped to support their children effectively. Specifically, home-reading is challenging for parents who they themselves struggle with reading, are learning the English language, or simply do not have the confidence/knowledge to be able to effectively support their child. Moreover, for many children, their main access to books is through school. During the summer, many children may lose access to books if their families do not have the resources to purchase books at their child’s reading level. Additionally, for students with learning disorders, informal summer reading alone is insufficient; they require structured, intensive, and explicit reading interventions. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of high-quality, accessible reading programs in Calgary, especially during the summer months.

To address these issues, our program will offer targeted reading support, equip parents with strategies to sustain their child's reading development, and provide books to enhance home libraries. Other components of the program include an individualized lesson plan based on the child’s specific needs (involving phonics and phonological awareness), engaging literacy games, interesting books, and activities that follow a specific literacy theme for the week (e.g., fairy tales, science-fiction, animals).

Who Will it Benefit?

The primary beneficiaries of this program will be students who face reading challenges, including those with learning disabilities, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and English Language Learners (ELL). These populations tend to require more significant reading support than typical learners. Additionally, they are likely to the lose valuable reading gains over the summer if they do not receive continued support. Low-income families are also one of the main target demographics for this initiative, as reading intervention programs in Calgary are expensive and not accessible for all families. Parents will benefit from this program as well, as they will receive guidance and strategies to confidently support their child's reading at home. Additionally, the program will help address the issue of limited access to books by gifting a book to each family and connecting them with resources for further reading material. Overall, the initiative will support children’s educational growth, bolster parental involvement, and enhance access to reading resources, thereby fostering a more supportive learning environment.