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Get a Clue - For Parents and Caregivers
June 11 – August 6, 2008
For kids age 4 to rising 5th graders.
The Heyns Study
In her definitive and classic study, "Summer Learning and the Effects of Schooling" (Academic Press, 1978), Barbara Heyns followed sixth and seventh graders in the Atlanta public schools through two school years and the intervening summer. Among the findings of her research:
- The number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains.
- Children in every income group who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement than children who did not.
- The use of the public library during the summer is more predictive of vocabulary gains than attending summer school is.
- The major factors determining whether a child read over that summer were whether the child used the public library; the child's gender (girls read more than boys but also watched more TV); socioeconomic status; and the distance from home to a library.
- "More than any other public institution, including the schools, the public library contributed to the intellectual growth of children during the summer. Moreover, unlike summer school programs, the library was used by over half the sample and attracted children from diverse backgrounds." (p.77)
Sponsors
Summer Reading is brought to you by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County with generous support from the following organizations.
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