Seattle Public Schools | Summer Reading and Learning Resources

Updated: June 10, 2009
There is no doubt about it—kids who read in the summer do better in the fall! Reading skills developed during the school year are maintained when kids continue to read over the summer, yet summer vacation can easily result in an achievement gap of three months or more for students who don’t read or for those with less access to books. This summer loss can accumulate to two or more years by the end of middle school. Guaranteeing access to books during the summer is important. Reading five or more chapter books can equal the learning accomplished in summer school! Seattle Public Library Summer Reading Drop into your local library branch to sign up, and get your summer reading log. After reading 10 books, return the log for a free book and qualify for a drawing to attend The Breakfast of Champions and/or a free Burke Museum pass. The importance of public library summer reading programs Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program Download a summer reading log. After you read and log 8 books, take your reading log to Barnes & Noble to get a free book and qualify for a drawing to win an autographed Percy Jackson book.
Grades K-2	Grades 3-5	Grades 6-8	Grades 9-12
Play ABC games, print your own reading record and see great books, learn your phone number and address, & more! Visit the Grades K-2 ReadWriteThink Website	Write poetry or fairy tales, make your own board games, create trading cards of your favorite characters, & more! Visit the Grades 3-5 ReadWriteThink Website	Create blogs, poems, comic strips, or crossword puzzles, or listen to book review podcasts for teens by teens, & more! Visit the Grades 6-8 ReadWriteThink Website	Create a first resume, video a PSA, reach out to a favorite author, or track character clues, & more! Visit the Grades 9-12 ReadWriteThink Website
Have fun learning to read at Starfall or listen to your favorite books read aloud on Tumblebooks	Do you love www.pilkey.com? Then you're bound to love Derek Munson's Alien All Stars!	Sign up for a writing class this summer at the very cool 826, located at Greenwood Ave & N. 85th.	Curious about word meanings? Enter a word intoWordnik for definitions, examples of use in literature, & usage stats.
Do you play with your friends during the summer? How about putting on a play together? Teaching Heart has created over 60 scripts of kids’ favorite books.	Does your best friend live across town? How about playing Scrabble by registering with the Internet Scrabble Club?	Create your own reading plan for the summer. Print off and fill out this brochure being used by Meany Middle School students	Check your skill as a reader. How many of these 7 Habits of Good Readers do you use when you read? Challenge yourself to use more!
Visit the Junie B. Jones Website and have fun with her learning activities!	Can’t have a pet of your own? Create an account and take care of up to four virtual pets on Neopet!	Reading Rockets introduces you to your favorite YA authors on podcasts or video!	Quick Picks from the ALA for the most reluctant young adult readers!

For Teachers & Families

What parents can do to encourage summer reading, from the Knoxville News-Sentinel
Read Together: Parents and Educators Working Together for Literacy shares ideas on what to do if your child gets stuck when reading and questions you can ask to find out if he or she understands what was read.
100 Places to Find Your Next Great Read links you to book discussion groups, free book downloads, book reviews, and online booksellers, for kids, teens, and adults.
How to help your child become a better writer, from the National Council of Teachers of English (English version)
How to help your child become a better writer, from the National Council of Teachers of English (Spanish version)
Reading Rockets for families offers answers to common literacy questions.