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Summer Reading 2007
Summer Reading Rationale
“Beverly Public Schools will foster the development
of each student’s full reading potential through the integration
of home, school, and community efforts. Beverly believes strongly that
every student can be successful in learning to read and has the capacity
to become an independent reader by the end of third grade. Through carefully
planned reading instruction and a balanced literacy approach, students
will learn strategies that will support their continued growth as lifelong
learners. The overall goal is to develop students who are self-motivated
to read for both pleasure and information…Instruction will emphasize
‘reading to learn’ from a wide variety of genres and for
various purposes throughout all grades.”
- Excerpted from Beverly Public Schools (BPS) Elementary Reading
Philosophy 2003
“Adolescents entering the adult world will do more reading and writing tasks than any other time in human history. They will need reading and writing to cope with the flood of information they will find in the world as it exits. They will also need to use literacy to feed their imaginations so that they can create the world of the future. In a complex and diverse world, their ability to read is crucial, and therefore, it is essential not only to help them survive, but also to help them thrive. – Excerpted from the International Reading Association (IRA) Position Statement on Adolescent Literacy, 1999.
Beverly High School advocates summer reading in order to further develop the student as a literate person in society. A literate person is someone who is able to use information, interpret different modes of literature, and appreciate varying points of view and most importantly to develop a sense of self. These skills can only be acquired through frequent practice, preferably when integrated with writing. In addition, we believe that the summer reading program can foster a sense of responsibility and self-management, which are necessary skills in high school and beyond. Therefore, the Beverly High School Reading program chooses reading selections that will support curriculum standards and reinforce study skills. Reading is a craft that can be acquired, and summer reading is an additional opportunity for students to become proficient at the craft.
In summary, we believe that students need to practice to become proficient readers. The more a student reads- the more words that a student encounters – the better reader the student will become and the more challenging the material that he/she is able to read. Therefore, reading must continue throughout the school year at home and in school as well as during the summer. In order to promote student interest in reading, we believe that the summer reading program should offer “choice” and appeal to many different interests and reading levels. The program should also be an extension of a “balanced” literacy approach that fosters the integration of writing with reading and stimulates thinking skills through response to reading. It is with these points in mind that the Beverly Public Schools has developed its Summer Reading Program.
With our summer reading program, we hope students will
become “life-long” readers who use reading to open worlds
of wonder and delight as well as to enhance academic knowledge. In addition,
because of the expanding literacy demands placed upon adolescents, we
believe that students need access to wide variety of reading material
that they can and want to read. We want students to reflect upon their
reading and make connections to their lives and experiences with the
world around them. We desire our students to develop the habits of “fervent
readers.”
| Elementary - Grades 1-5 | Middle School - Grades 6-8 |
| Beverly Public Library | High School - Grades 9-12 |