Evaluating Summer Reading Programs

Flowers offers guidance for librarians in examining all aspects of teen programming and services to determine where improvement is needed. Readers will learn how to Develop goals and objectives for evaluation Collect the data for a realistic picture of a library’s strengths and weaknesses Use many different types of data with the help of practical examples included in the text Evaluate YA collections, summer reading programs, special events, and library staff This guide comes with an explanation of the YALSA competencies, the YALSA teen services evaluation tool, and models for what excellent teen services programs should look like. Ready-to-use evaluation forms and checklists save time and resources by improving assessment methods in minutes.

"This book documents the latest research findings about the success of free voluntary reading in developing high levels of literacy"--Provided by publisher.

A guidebook to help plan a summer library reading program focused on teens and tweens ages 12 to 18. Provides activity ideas and sample reading incentive programs; budgeting and evaluation advice; help with marketing, community partnerships, and readers' advisory.

Students typically lose knowledge and skills during the summer, particularly low-income students. Districts and private providers can benefit from the evidence on summer programming to maximize program effectiveness, quality, reach, and funding.

Academic achievement loss during the summer is an established fact that is backed by a dearth of research. Most students generally lose academic ground in math during the summer. However, summer learning loss in reading is not shared by all subgroups of students. Students living in poverty lose, on average, 3 months of academic learning while other students gain or stay the same over the summer months. This is of major concern to schools and districts as they struggle to close the achievement gap. -- A middle school in a southeastern state created a reading program that guaranteed access to books over the summer. Selected students were given 12 books at the end of the school year for 2 years. Two of the books came from the school's summer reading list, but the others were based on student choice. The program coordinators provided minimal support to the students when they choose their books. There were no other student support structures in place. -- The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine the extent to which access to books is associated with reducing summer learning loss in reading and to determine to what extent participation in the program increased reading motivation and student perception of the value of reading. -- While the findings of the program evaluation did not support the author's anticipated outcomes, this research offers plenty to the existing research on interventions geared towards reducing or eliminating summer learning loss in reading. While there is a solid research base that proves summer learning loss occurs and is an issue facing our schools, there is little research on interventions that may address the issue of summer learning loss in reading. This program evaluation builds off of the existing literature and shows the need for additional student support structures in addition to providing guaranteed access to books.

The long-awaited new guide to summer reading programs for children, teens, and families is here. Carole Fiore, who oversees Florida's award-winning summer reading program, has created an expansive and up-to-date handbook for summer reading programs. You will learn how to set goals and objectives; establish themes and schedules; coordinate statewide and regional efforts; market and promote events; and evaluate program success. Up-to-date coverage addresses the No Child Left Behind Act, developmental assets, utilizing the Web, copyright concerns, bilingual programming, online activities, outcome-based evaluations, and more. Fiore also provides an A-Z annotated list of thematic programming ideas and a special illustrated section with twenty-five exemplary programs and numerous best practices from libraries across the country. Special sections serve as a guide to themes and member libraries of statewide and regional cooperative summer programs. Filled with forms, checklists, and sample policies, this is a valuable, comprehensive tool - essential for anyone planning reading programs.

Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention. It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately assess why a student is struggling. Readers will learn a framework for organizing testing results from current assessment batteries such as the WJ-IV, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2. Case studies illustrate each of the concepts covered. A thorough discussion is provided on the assessment of phonics skills, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Formatted for easy reading as well as quick reference, the text includes bullet points, icons, callout boxes, and other design elements to call attention to important information. Although a substantial amount of research has shown that most reading difficulties can be prevented or corrected, standard reading remediation efforts have proven largely ineffective. School psychologists are routinely called upon to evaluate students with reading difficulties and to make recommendations to address such difficulties. This book provides an overview of the best assessment and intervention techniques, backed by the most current research findings. Bridge the gap between research and practice Accurately assess the reason(s) why a student struggles in reading Improve reading skills using the most highly effective evidence-based techniques Reading may well be the most important thing students are taught during their school careers. It is a skill they will use every day of their lives; one that will dictate, in part, later life success. Struggling students need help now, and Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties shows how to get these students on track.