While existing research documents the effectiveness of summer reading programs, little is know about how and to what degree children actually read the books that are sent home or how families engage with these texts. We took this opportunity to dive in and explore what happened when books were sent home to low-income, culturally diverse families.…

Notes that student learning declines or remains stagnant during the summer months and that the magnitude of change differs by socioeconomic status. Explains a summer reading program called Continued Connections which used a converted recreational vehicle as a mobile classroom. Concludes that this program helped students increase their reading…

The authors designed and implemented a voluntary reading program that was intended to reduce loss in reading achievement over the summer months, particularly for low-income and ethnic minority children. The program had two major components: (1) providing eight books that were well matched to each child's reading level and interests; and (2)…