Launching Book-Rich Environments
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), the National Book Foundation (NBF), the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are joining forces to transform the nation’s public housing authorities (PHAs) into book-rich environments.
The Book Rich Environments (BRE) Initiative is a collaboration aimed to transform Public Housing Agencies (PHA) into book rich environments by bringing diverse, high quality books and other literacy tools into the hands of children and families living in HUD-assisted housing to improve literacy outcomes and ensure all young people, regardless of background, have the tools they need to reach their full potential.
Families and community organizations can find more information about learning through-out the summer from some of these BRE partners and supporting organizations.
From Urban Libraries Council (ULC) – tips for local libraries:
Libraries Expanding Summer Opportunities
Libraries at the Center of Summer Learning and Fun
From Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR):
Summer Learning Loss Facts and Figures
From National Summer Learning Association (NSLA):
Tips to Help You Plan for Summer Learning
Summer Opportunity Action Toolkit
National Summer Learning Day Resources for Communities
From National Center for Families Learning (NCFL):
Don’t fall down the summer slide
The long lazy days of summer – a welcome break from the regular school routine, but also the time when many students slip down the “summer slide.” During the months out of school, students forget all about Langston Hughes and the Pythagorean theorem, and it takes them some time to regain what they lost when they return to school in the fall. Many children lose up to two to three months of reading and math skills, most significantly in spelling and math computation. What measures can families take to keep children learning in the summer? Here’s a few ideas.
Read with your child – talk about the characters, story, and any words they don’t know.
Model good reading habits – let your children see you reading everyday, everywhere.
Find books that serve as “mirrors” and “windows.” Check online lists like Firstbook’s blog.
Explore free or low-cost family activities in your neighborhood.
Don’t forget math and science! Find opportunities and examples in everyday life.
Visit your local library. Get your library card and check out the activities that are available.
As community members – think about what you can do through your organization to make learning resources available to the children in your neighborhood.
Summer’s not a dream vacation for everybody, but with plans and effort, it can be an opportunity for all children to stay off the “summer slide.”
Read, read, read! Learning happens during the summer, too. So, make every child’s environments during their summer vacation both fun AND ‘Book-Rich’! Book-rich IS fun!
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