The first SAT scores arrive and panic sets in; reality hits hard. The scores are lower than you expected! Worried parents ask what to do; their child is stressed! The first question I ask is, “Did your child read on his/her own in the summer?” The answer is always "no."
Research all over the world documents that children who read do better in school and score higher on standardized testing. I explain it to students with a sports analogy. To be better in any sport requires practice, and reading is no different. If children read for pleasure on their own (and there are so many good books available), they will be better at all the components of reading such as comprehension (understanding), fluency (how easily and quickly they read) and decoding (how well they figure out words). A good book is like a good movie; it is a relaxing and enjoyable thing to do! It is never too late to start enjoying reading, but the earlier children start reading on their own, the better they will become at reading skills.
Darlington's Upper School encourages summer reading by providing extra credit in every subject area, even though reading one book is the only requirement. Every department provides numerous book choices, so it is possible for a student to start the fall semester with extra credit in each subject if they want to read a book from every department. Summer reading is not like reading assigned for the school year. If a student doesn’t like a book he or she has started, just drop it and try another.
Click here for Darlington's Upper School Summer Reading List
For a quick review of any book, click on the title.
Enjoy reading this summer!
