Study finds summer reading can help close the achievement gap and raise scores on standardized exams

May 6, 6:58 AMNY Education ExaminerLorri Giovinco-Harte

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While the pundits invest millions in resources debating and theorizing over what will close the achievement gap, a new study from Harvard University has found a rather simple solution - reading.

Researchers James Kim and Thomas White wanted to see if the achievement gap between white and minority children could be lessened through engaging in summer reading activities. 

Kim and White organized several children into four separate groups, each of which was given a different level of reading activity for the summer.

Group 1 was given no books or adult assistance.

Group 2 was given books but no assistance other than asking parents to urge their children to read.

Group 3 was given books along with oral instructions for parents to guide their children and check their comprehension.  They were also asked to provide evidence for their children's reading by sending in postcards to explain their child's comprehension of the book.

Group 4 was given books along with oral instructions, comprehension and scaffolding  activities.  They were also provided with comprehension instruction from their teachers at the end of the school year.  Like group 3, the parents were asked to provide evidence for their children's reading through postcards.

The researchers concluded that there was a significant difference between the groups:

1. Students who received oral reading and comprehension scaffolding (Group 4) scored higher on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS, used to measure general reading ability) post-test than students who did not receive any treatment.

2. The combined ITBS post-test scores of students in the two scaffolding conditions (Groups 3 and 4) were higher than the combined scores of the other two groups.

Most notably, Black, Hispanic and low-income students in the oral reading and comprehension group gained from 1.7 to 5.1 months of additional learning. This impressive gain, on average four months, of additional learning for low-income students is enough to offset the three months of summer slump that this population typically experiences.

It is important to note that all of the students were given books that matched their reading level and interest.

Based on the findings, Kim and White made the following implications:

• Teachers should teach and model oral reading and comprehension strategies toward the end of the school year.

• Students should receive eight or more level-matched books so that they have sufficient reading material.

• Students should be sent postcards over the summer recapping good reading strategies.

• Parents should receive letters asking them to listen to oral reading and provide feedback to their children.

• Postcard returns should be solicited so that program administrators can assess correct implementation of strategy.

Read more at The Harvard Graduate School of Education.