Summer Reading: Closing the Rich-Poor Reading Achievement Gap

Authors: Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen
Author info: Professors of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education
Publication Date: December 2012
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Synopsis: Summer reading loss accounts for roughly 80 percent of the rich/poor reading achievement gap. Yet far too little attention is given to the problem. This book offers not only a comprehensive review of what is known about summer reading loss but also provides reliable interventions and guidance. Written by acknowledged experts and researchers on reading, remedial reading, and special education, this collection describes multiple models of innovative summer reading and book distribution initiatives as well as research-based guidelines for planning a successful summer reading program. Most important, the authors clearly show how schools and communities can see greater academic gains for students from low-income families using the methods described in this book than they can from much more costly interventions.