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Summer Reading Program Katherine Kellerstrass The Highland Primary School Library was awarded a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant by the Illinois State Library using federal funds. The grant was awarded to the school library to conduct a pilot program to maintain, or increase reading motivation and skills for kindergarten through third grade students over the 1999 summer vacation. The program also offered children who are not served by the local city public library, access to library services and materials. Highland, Illinois is located approximately thirty-five miles east of St. Louis, Missouri. Highland Community Unit School District No. 5 is made up of five communities: Highland (population 8,000), Alhambra (700), Grantfork (250), Pierron (fewer than 300), and New Douglas (400) plus the surrounding rural areas. School enrollment for the 1998-1999 school year was 2859. Enrollment is made up of seven buildings: 3 of which are not located in Highland, leaving approximately 1000 students unable to access local public library services. Prior to the Grant Two surveys had been conducted in the district in 1998 that showed a need and desire to provide additional reading instruction for students. In the spring of 1998, a district wide survey of teachers showed that 95% of those responding indicated reading as the area most needing support and/or development. In the fall of 1998, a parent survey was developed to inquire of them which academic content area was thought to be in need of additional instruction. Of the 456 parents responding, 212 parents noted reading as the area of needed additional instruction. (Results of both surveys can be seen in Appendix A and B.) With the limited library access for 1/3 of the district's student in mind and the overwhelming results of the two surveys, the idea became to seek funding for a pilot program. The Illinois State Library offered grants to try innovative programs to libraries and it was decided to submitan application under the LSTA program. Although other approaches to encourage summer reading were in place and continue to be used, few students seemed to participate or be encouraged to try the programs. One idea behind the grant was to combine and offer library activities with known successful teaching methods in reading. Keeping students active over the entire summer was also an important factor in order to preserve previous learned academic skills learned. It was hoped to motivate students to continue to read over the summer months thus preventing a loss of reading ability. The pilot program aspect was designed to test whether or not offering such a program would help students retain reading ability. Grant Award In February 1999, Highland Community School District #5 was notified by the Illinois State Library, a division of the Secretary of State's office, that it had been awarded a $47,944 grant. Several meetings were immediately scheduled to organize and plan the program. Notices were sent to all district families to gather data on interest in the program. Approximately 700 notices were sent out and, of that number, 456 were returned. 305 families expressed a desire to participate in this sort of program, 100 parents requested further information, and 27 families responded no. In the end, 146 families signed up for the Summer Library Program. (See handout materials in the Appendix D). Grant money was awarded to fund library materials, equipment and staff. Funding was used to purchase five computers and printers for the technology aspect of the program. The Standardized Test for Assessment of Reading (S.T.A.R.) testing materials. Accelerated Reading license (which would allow all school children the ability to read books and take comprehension tests), and several other reading based software programs were also purchased. These computer materials were a vital part of the program. Certified teachers • Katherine Kellerstrass, Second Grade Teacher, Highland Primary School. 43 were hired to run the program due to the nature of the "skills" aspect linked to the program and the Accelerated Reading Program requirements for monitoring. In order to provide additional stimulation and reading motivation numerous books including Accelerated Reader books, books with tapes, books with activity bags, and very early reader books were purchased. Several storytelling and reading encouragement workshop opportunities were offered through the program and funding made it possible to hire well known professionals in the field. Due to the amount and significance of the use of the Accelerated Reader Program, staff members attended Reading Renaissance training to better implement the program during the Summer Library Program. Teachers were also provided a training session on the use of other software packages that were purchased for the grant program. Testing The research portion of the grant required that testing be administered in a pre-test, post-test format. Appropriate to the Accelerated Reader Program, which would be used heavily, the S.T.A.R. Reading Test was selected to measure student reading ability via grade level equivalence. The S.T.A.R. Reading Test (created by Advantage Learning Systems) provides teachers with a diagnostic formula or plan, which will best meet the needs of the individual student. Such suggestions for help included: more time spent reading aloud, increased silent reading time, specific skills to practice, etc. This gave teachers a starting point from which to work with each student. See Appendix I for an example of this report. The idea was initially intended to test kindergarten through third grade students. However, once familiar with the testing instrument, it was decided that in order to obtain accurate and measurable data, only students in the first and second grade would be tested. This was done partially due to the inability of many kindergarten students to read well enough to get a measurable reading level. Third grade students were eliminated from testing due to the structure of the school and the fact that once fourth graders, these students would be in a different building and follow-up testing would not be easily accessible. All district first and second grade students were tested in order to compare the scores of students who participated with those students who did not. Scores would be used to measure whether or not grant students maintained or increased reading levels compared to their peers. The pre-test was administered before the conclusion of the 1998-1999 academic school year. Post-test data was collected two weeks after the start of the 1999-2000 academic school year. Permission slips were required and collected to obtain plus use the pre/post scores of students for the purpose of this grant. See Appendix C for a sample of the letter. Although test scores had been collected for the participating group of first and second graders, testing of additional students continued at parent request, as teachers found able kindergarten students, and as parochial school students joined the program. Even though these students were tested they were not required to take the Accelerated Reading tests. However, staffed teachers encouraged students to take them to help them stay focused and working within their reading range. The Grant Activities Typical summer programs run for approximately six weeks, this would not meet the needs of this grant. This program therefore was set-up to take place over a ten-week period during the school's summer break (June 8- August 12). The length of the program was in part designed to keep students active in reading all summer. The fall 1998 parent survey, asked if such a program were to be offered, what time of the day would best meet their needs or schedules. Based on the responses that grant committee felt it would best implement the program by offering morning, afternoon, and evening hours. A schedule and guidelines can be seen in Appendix E and F. The Summer Library Program was held at the Highland Primary School. Because of space and the lack of air-conditioning throughout the building, the program was held in two locations. The library was one of those locations. The other was a close by air-conditioned classroom where the computers and other program activities took place. This seemed to work well, however ideally the library should be in the same location. The program schedule divided each day into three one and one-half hour sessions. This was viewed as ample time for students to accomplish the desired activities. In addition to these sessions, one half-hour story time could be included. Story times were offered twice daily. These story times offered students the opportunity to listen to teachers read aloud. Open participation in the program was limited to one session a 44 day and weekly attendance was required for those students wanting to participate in the pilot program. The grant offered many enticing activities from: an up-dated book collection, computer programs (including the Accelerated Reader Program, designed by Advantage Learning Systems), listening centers, activity book bags, storytelling, a writing center, and individualized attention and work with a teacher or volunteer. A total of 8 computers were set-up in the classroom. Three of which were for the sole purpose of taking Accelerated Reader tests. The other five were setup with the reading software. This was necessary to allow students finishing stories to take tests while the story was still fresh in their memory. Students also knew that to get on those computers they had to read a book. This alone was motivation enough to get some students to read. Upon checking in, students were allowed to choose from one of the above mentioned activities. Students had the freedom to choose which activities they participated in, depending on the number of students attending. On days that attendance exceeded the number of computers available, timers were used to assure equal time at any given activity. All students visited the library during each session where they were taught and encouraged to select age-appropriate books. Students participating in the grant were asked to take a comprehensive Accelerated Reader test at least once a week on a book within their reading level. On a typical day, the program started with parents signing their children in (See Appendix G). Students many times got busy immediately with their favorite computer game or by taking an Accelerated Reader test while the story was fresh in their memory. Depending on the number of students attending, the groups were given about fifteen minutes to get settled in before the teachers started working specifically with students or they were encouraged to try another activity. The first task was to help students choose library books that fell within that individual child's reading range. Students chose books off of lists that provided a variety of the titles that the library had available. This was done to help students select books that the school owns tests for on Accelerated Reader. The lists were appropriately selected for the student's reading level. Students would choose a couple of book titles in case one of their choices was not available. One of the encouraged/requirements for the program was for students to try to take at least one Accelerated Reader test weekly. Although all students are encouraged to participate in the Accelerated Reader tests, the grant focused only on the first and second grade students for analysis. The software programs that were purchased as part of this grant were appropriate for the various grades being serviced. One challenge for the staff was to monitor student selection of software that was appropriate for each child. Students got familiar with a program and the staff would encourage them to work at a more challenging level. The software programs included such titles as "Reading Journey," "Reader Rabbit," "School House Rock," "Claris Works for Kids," "Reading Maze," "Read, Write, and Type," and others. Software was reading based with an emphasis on reading comprehension, skill building, grammar, and writing. Students also had the opportunity to use listening centers, which had several various titles for students to choose from. This center is set up so that several students at once could listen or students could listen by themselves. Other activities included puppets for students to create or reenact stories. Activity bags, which contain stories and manipulatives, were also available for students. Students many times choose to do this with a partner or with one of the teachers. The teachers were available to read with students and also to listen to students read aloud. Daily storytelling provided students with an opportunity to not only experience being read to, but were also exposed to various genres of stories. Teachers each took one of the storytelling sessions. During the summer, the program gained the assistance of a senior citizen volunteer that also enjoyed reading to and with students. She was a delight and the students enjoyed the extra attention that she was able to provide. Most importantly, during every visit students had the opportunity to visit the library and to check out up to three books. One parent commented in their evaluation that the "opportunity to bring home library books each week" was the most helpful part of the program. Students were taught to look for books in their reading level and became familiar with the dynamic of the library. Students finished each session by helping teachers fill out a folder, which kept record of the day's activi- 45 ties (See Appendix H). The amount of time at the program, any tests taken, specific computer software played, books read aloud or to, and other activities that may have been completed. Additional Activities Throughout the summer, students had a number of opportunities to participate in special programming designed to encourage the value and joy of reading. These included storytelling and other programs. Starting the summer program off, was a workshop for kindergartners and their families, which stressed the fun and importance of family involvement in reading. Along with the local public library (which serves only a portion of the school population), the Summer Library Program co-sponsored six storytelling opportunities for program participants and community members. Nationally known storyteller, Dan Keding presented a storytelling workshop for students and performed for a general community audience that same evening. Other program opportunities included various types of puppetry. During one session, students were able to see up close the puppets and how puppets provide a creative way to tell a story. The primary purpose of having the public library as an active participant was to allow them to understand what would be involved if in the future a program could be enlarged to include those children living in the town. Also, there was a need for both the school library and the public library to have programs encouraging the value of reading both for the grant and the local public libraries summer reading activities. Strengths of the Program This major strength or success of this program was that children were reading and even better they were enjoying it. There were many strengths to this program including the technology, the set-up and structure of the program, and most significantly the response of students. The program provided a safe environment for students of varied age levels and reading levels to experiment with reading and see success. Technology was the key. Students were motivated to "play" on the computers. The software that was available educational and monitored, therefore seen as a positive tool for motivating. Students were also motivated to read books, in order to get on the computer to take a test. Passing the tests also offered motivation for some of the more competitive children. The technology offered students immediate feedback on their efforts and with teacher monitors, they were encouraged to challenge themselves. The listening centers gave students additional "read to" opportunities which provides them with positive models for the enjoyment of reading. The listening centers were a popular center. One parent commented, "The added stimulation of computer learning and the listening stations seemed to help her (the daughter) with word recognition and helped keep her interest strong." The set-up of the activities, which encouraged students to practice self direction, is also a strength of the Summer Library Program. The "center" arrangement of the program gave students choices as to which activity they wanted to participate. Students many times needed to read their library books out of the program in order to take tests on them. This encouraged responsibility. Unlike library rules during the school year, students were allowed to check out up to three books, for Highland Primary students this was also a motivating factor. The flexible hours were appreciated repeated. Parents commented almost weekly as to the benefits of the flexibility of the program. One parent wrote in the final evaluation, "It was very nice not to be locked into a time though tried to go same time when possible." Another wrote about the hours of operation, "We were always able to take advantage of at least one session per week. Many times twice and occasionally three times." The flexibility of the program was very important to many of the families participating. The ability to have certified staff available for students and low teacher/student ratios, made the program that much more successful. The teachers were able to monitor and challenge individual readers and note specific skill needs and improvements. For many children, just having the attention of an experienced reader helped. The senior volunteer was able to provide this for students also. Weaknesses Although the grant overall was successful, there were areas that needed some attention. These include lack of family involvement, split location and environmental aspects of the program, technological difficulties, higher than expected attendance, and lack of prep time. Early in the program it was noticed that parents were not responding to the program as anticipated. Most 46 parents showed an interest for their child to be involved, but few parents themselves participated to the extent that was intended for the program. Enthusiasm was high, but participation in scheduled evening activities tended to have low attendance. Again, busy summer schedules such as little league are thought to be part of the reason for this. The split location of classroom and library worked, but would most likely work better if the library were a more constant and visible part of the program. Students had to move from one cool room through the hot hall to the cool library. There were a couple of occasions in which custodial crew schedules and the library program schedule inevitably overlapped. These and other building concerns could not be avoided, but are issues to consider. On more than one occasion the server for the computers, crashed. Without a full time technology person, there were occasions in which the program was unable to offer the computers as a center option. This was an inconvenience for students prepared to take tests. Although welcome, attendance during a couple of the scheduled sessions tended to be higher than expected. This was a problem only in that computer time had to be limited an individualized attention was more difficult to attain. During these sessions, the teacher attending to the library joined the classroom and took groups to the library, rather than students going at their own desired time. This was one concern at the start of the program by offering flexible hours. Fortunately, with the exception of a couple of sessions this did not happen regularly. Longer breaks between sessions should be a consideration for the future. Teachers often were rushed to finish their lunch or dinner due to students being picked up late and/or students being dropped off early. One possible remedy would be to alternate lunch hours or add time on either end of the sessions. After looking more closely at the testing instrument, it was felt that a better measure could have been chosen. The STAR test measures reading level by having students read sentences and choosing the correct word to fill in the blank. This tests word recognition, but is not able to test specific skills. Over a ten week period students are not as likely to lose or gain vocabulary as they would be to lose reading comprehension and literacy skills. At the start of the program this was the only product available that would meet our testing needs. However, recently, the school was notified that Advantage Learning Systems had developed a skills test which basically would test more of the literacy skills. This should be an area to consider further research in the future. Results Though test scores did not indicate an increase in reading levels nor a significant difference between the participating group and the non-participating group, an evaluation of the program by parents and staff and comments from teachers indicates that the program was a worthwhile and successful experience. In the evaluation at the conclusion of the program one parent wrote, "It's all my kids talked about. If I had the time they would have been there everyday." Another parent wrote about her daughter, "She always looked forward to going. I never had to coax her or motivate otherwise to go." Teachers working for the program noticed increased motivation of students that attended regularly. They saw many students improve their oral reading skills over the summer and saw students feeling a sense of accomplishment after finishing Accelerated Reading tests. Several teachers have commented on the enthusiasm students who were in the summer program are showing toward reading. One student who participated regularly in the summer program, was in Reading Recovery in first grade and now is one of the top readers in his second grade class. The school is trying to come up with a way to follow the students who participated to monitor continued reading behaviors. At the end of the Summer Library Program it was decided to encumber funds to continue the "family" aspect of the Summer Library Program by becoming involved with Family Reading Night in November. Storyteller Annette Harrison was hired and other activities were planned. Over 300 family members attended and participated in the events. It was a tremendous success with over 300 people in attendance and several requests to continue it in years to come. Summary The Highland Community Unit School District saw a need to provide all students with access to a library; this need was met by offering open access to the school library. Participation in the program gave students an opportunity to stay active in their reading and met the need for students to at least maintain their reading 47 skills. Although there was no tested significance in reading scores, a notable difference in confidence, performance, test anxiety, and enthusiasm for reading was noticed by summer library teachers, parents and classroom teachers. Currently an evaluation is being conducted to see how the local public library and the school library might work together on future summer programs benefiting all students within the school district. Unfortunately, due to campus wide construction and moving, a library program at the school will not be feasible in 2000. However, because of the overwhelming response to the summer program and the felt success that it offered the school administration will approach the school board about financing the program next year possibly in conjunction with the local public library, due to construction issues. Since set up equipment and supplies have already been purchased with grant funds the required funds for continuing the program are limited to staff salary, and program fees. This is a reasonable amount for such a worthwhile program.
Appendix A
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Appendix B
49 Appendix C May 26, 1999 Dear Parents and Guardians, We are planning to conduct a research project at Highland Primary. Between now and the end of the school year each student in the first and second grades will take a S.T.A.R. reading assessment test. Then in September the students will take the S.T.A.R. reading assessment test again. We will check students' S.T.A.R. records to see if they have experienced any growth in reading level over the summer months. Once a student's records are coded, his/her name will be removed from the record and will not be used in the report. Reading records and reports will be made available to parents upon request. In order for your child's scores to be included in the research project, we must have signed permission. Please fill out the slip below and return it to your child's teacher by Friday, May 28. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely,
Please check one:
___I give my permission for my child's scores to be used in the research project.
Child's name________________________ Parent's signature ________________________ 50
Appendix D SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM Thank you for showing interest in the Summer Library Program. Attached please find the additional information you requested. Please read through the information carefully. If you are interested in signing up for either the regular program or the "Research" part of the program, just fill out the appropriate forms and return them to your child's teacher no later than May 21, 1999. We are very excited about this program and think it offers a summer full of fun and learning for all students. Hope to see you there! What is the Summer Library Program? The Summer Library Program is possible due to a grant that was awarded by the Illinois State Library. The idea behind the grant is two-fold. It was designed to offer all K-3 district students free, easy access to the school library and some fun educational activities during the summer months. In addition to that, the grant is intended to pilot a program to determine whether or not students involved in such a program would maintain/increase their reading skills significantly more than students who do not participate in comparable activities over the summer months. Students wanting to participate in the program will be able to access the library anytime during the hours of operation. Students may check-out books, take tests over stories, play with computer-based reading programs, use listening centers, and hear daily storytelling. Some great family activities and workshops will also be available throughout the summer. Students reaching set goals will be rewarded. Weekly attendance is encouraged, but not required. Throughout the summer, students will receive reading records and progress reports. The Jennie Latzer Kaeser Children's Library also offers a Summer Reading Program that awards students for reading over the summer. The libraries will work together to provide great summer reading opportunities for your child. Check it out! Research Project The purpose of the research project is to determine the effectiveness of active participation in a summer reading program in which computers are available. Your child's participation in this research project will enable Highland Primary School and Library to offer programs like this in the future. Once a student's records are coded, his/her name will be removed from the record and will not appear in any published work. Parents are welcome to all the reports that will be available. In order to make our research more effective, we need a group of students who will agree to attend the program at least once a week and take tests over books that have been chosen and read. Students will learn how to select books that are appropriate for their reading level. It is also strongly recommended, but not required, that families of the students included in this research study attend some of the workshops and performances that will be held during the summer. Some of these events include well-known storytellers, puppet shows, workshops, and more. Students who need to miss for vacation plans will be asked to make up the week/test missed. Most importantly, we want to be able to provide some fun assistance for your child and help them increase their reading skills and enjoyment. 51 PLEASE RETURN TO SCHOOL BY MAY 21,1999 My child would like to participate in the Summer Library Program. I have read the above requirements and agree to the terms of this program. Student's Name _____________________ Grade ________ Parent's Name ______________________ Phone__________ Address___________________________________ ___ My child will be able to visit at least once a week.
___________________
___________________
Upon receiving this completed form, we will send a tentative schedule and guidelines home with your child. 52 Appendix E Summer Library Schedule From June 8 through August 12, 1999, the Highland Primary School Library will open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The hours are as follows:
To best meet the needs and numbers of students that will be involved in the program we have set up the following daily schedule:
Appendix F Library Guidelines The following guidelines will help us to serve your child along with the many others who have shown interest in the program. We want to be able to give your child one on one time with a certified teacher during their visit. These guidelines will help make that possible. Please be sure that your child understands these rules before he/she comes. Running and inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. Students do not have to attend with an adult as long as all rules are followed. Thank you for your assistance and participation. Summer Library Guidelines * Please follow the session schedule. * Everyone must take care of the equipment and supplies. * Students need to share books, equipment, and materials. * Please do as the teachers ask. * We will be Peace Builders while we are at the program. * Remember to follow school and library rules. 53 Appendix G Sample Sign-in Sheet Today's Date ________ Please leave the number where someone can be reached today.
54 Appendix H Student Record Sheet Student Name ________________ZPD ________
55 Appendix I
S.T.A.R.
Student Name:
Teacher: Kellerstrass, Katie
Grade: 2
Diagnostic Code: 3A The diagnostic information presented below is a generalized skills assessment based on the student's performance on the test. IRL: 3 GE: 2.2 PR: 92 NCE: 79.6 Students at this stage have had many successful reading experiences with extended text. They have mastered most of the basic sounds related to word recognition, although they are still working on analyzing and synthesizing words and their constituent sounds. Overall, word sounds are slowly becoming more automatic. More spoken words are becoming part of the students' reading vocabulary, enabling them to spend less time focusing on word recognition and more time thinking about meaning. Students begin to spend more time in silent reading and in reading unfamiliar easy-reader materials. Students still rely heavily on models of fluent oral readers to form a more complete picture of a successful reading experience. Reading orally with students is a powerful way of demonstrating the skills required to become a fluent reader. At this stage of reading development, ________ is expected to
- develop oral reading fluency; For optimal reading growth, ________ needs to
If____ is using the Accelerated Reader (TM) reading management system, the student's estimated Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for independent fiction reading is 2.1 - 3.1. This range is approximate. Success at any level also depends on the student's interest, prior knowledge, and other factors. The following techniques will help assure continued optimal growth:
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