Jefferson Middle School
Reading Lists
Summer 2009

Other Resources:

For students:

Scholastic Summer Reading Online Challenge
Join Scholastic’s Summer Challenge and be part of a team quest to eat, sleep, and dream books all summer! Find great reads, play book-based games, and help Scholastic support Save the Children! Your minutes can also count toward the World Record Challenge. 

Making the Most of Summer Reading - Tips for Parents:

• Finding a book on-level: "Help your child choose books that he can comfortably read. The "five-finger test" is a useful guideline for beginning readers. As your child reads, count the number of words he cannot read per page. In general, there should be five words or fewer that give him trouble on each page. If a book contains several pages on which you count more than five words that he can't read, consider reading that book to your child until he develops more reading skill."  (From Reading Rockets)
• For a more scientific approach to finding a book on-level, use your CRCT Reading Lexile to select summer reading: http://www.lexile.com/findabook/
  The Lexile Framework for Reading
  "The Lexile Framework for Reading is a new resource for parents and educators that focuses on improving early reading skills and increasing adolescent literacy. The relationships between the reading levels of a student to the difficulty of text, such as a book or magazine article, are called Lexile measures. These measures are then linked to scores on the Georgia Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) and the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) Reading Assessments. Teachers, parents, and library media specialists can use Lexile measures to choose texts that are likely to improve the reading and comprehension skills of students."
• Take your children to the library several times over the summer.  The public library has a reading incentive program this year to encourage students in their reading goals.  The public library also has special programming! 
• Use books on tape/CD/mp3 - fun for the whole family.  Struggling students greatly benefit from hearing books read to them.  If you're taking a trip this summer, purchase or check-out a book on CD.  Students can follow along with the book and the rest of the family can participate in listening/discussing.  Encouraging students to talk about the book improves understanding and motivation.
• Talk to your child about what they are reading.  Discussion builds comprehension.  Questions could include:
  • "Who is your favorite character?  Why?  Do you have anything in common?"
  • "Is there a villain in your story?  What is he/she going to do?  What do you think motivates that person?"
  • "Why did you select that book in your list?  What interested you first?"
  • "What is happening in your story?  If you were the author, what would you write next?"
• Set special reading times for the whole family.  Research shows that modeling reading for children improves their motivation and interest.
• Read aloud.  Middle school students (although they may not admit it!) still love read-alouds.  Take turns reading the book together and share with the whole family.
• Other tips (see especially--"Motivating Kids to Read"): http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/default.mspx