Leah Verier-Dunn, consultant with The Patterson Foundation
Ben Tollefson sat in the hot seat on this episode of Connecting Communities to discuss the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading’s THIS BOOK IS COOL! program. The summer slide is a real concern, most particularly for our asset-limited families. For those unfamiliar, research spanning 100 years has proven that students experience academic learning loss when they are out of school for the summer and do not engage in educational activities.
Achievement gaps are already an obstacle that families and schools are contending with; learning loss during the summer grows that gap. The gap is cumulative and continues to increase year after year if not rectified. The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading focuses on creating opportunities to stop the “summer slide” and help close the achievement gap.
THIS BOOK IS COOL! is a fun and engaging summer reading program for families living in Charlotte, Desoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Ben explained that TBIC! is specifically designed for asset-limited families and families attending Title I schools. However, all are welcome in the program. If you don’t believe your child would qualify due to limited income but would still like to be part of the program, we suggest making a $80 donation to Season of Sharing.
Ben shared that there are no downfalls with THIS BOOK IS COOL! Whether your child reads one extra book or 40 extra books this summer, it all counts. Whether being read to or reading independently, every reading moment contributes to decreasing the gap and increasing literacy and language skills.
We hope that everyone will dive into their love of reading this summer with our TBIC! resources. Whether you are formally participating or not, check out all that’s available:
Here is our TBIC! book guide by grade. There are SO many wonderful books that deserve your time. Head to the library and grab a pile of these cozy reads!
Here is a list with links to our webisode library! This library contains 100 free webisodes for each and every book on that list. Enrich your family’s reading experience by plunging into the themes of each book, trying the suggested activities, and enhancing the depth of learning happening with every book!
For families that weren’t able to register this year, you can join the early notification list by emailing connect@gradelevelreadingsuncoast.net. Doing this will ensure you are aware of the program when it first opens in the spring of next year.
