by Tess McDonald
This spring, eleven members of a faculty summer reading committee have joined together to create a new way to get students to read over the summer. With the completion rate of reading for academic students at less than 50%, the faculty is pushing to increase that rate.
The faculty has made a list of 20-40 books that they will sponsor. Students can choose a book from that list to read and discuss when school starts again in the fall. In the past few years, students have had no choice in what book they read. There has been one book for history and one book for English.
“[The idea] came from a meeting about a month ago when we usually start talking about summer reading, and one of the teachers asked if we could try what Quinn does,” Curriculum Coordinator Todd Wallingford said.
HHS teachers have been discontent with the old policy, so getting teachers on board to iron out the details of a new policy became the easy portion of the task.
“I am optimistic about this new approach,” Wallingford said. “I hope that I like this one better than the old one.”
Wallingford also hopes to increase student reading levels, which can be achieved simply through reading over the summer.
In studies about the importance of reading, students who read over the summer show a higher grade point average of almost 2 points. Those students strengthen their skills while students who don’t can fall behind for the next school year.
“We have seen a plateau in the students who participate the last couple of years in summer reading, and there is a gap between the honors students that finish, and then the academic students. We aren’t closing the gap, which is pretty important, and it’s our goal right now to close it up, and with this [current program] we don’t feel that we are reaching our goals,” Wallingford said.
Wallingford says he wants reading to become a big part of the culture at Hudson High. He insists that the new summer reading program is a way to make that happen.
In many cases, students say they would be more willing to read books over the summer if they were able to choose. The new program allows students to pick a book.
It also gives select seniors the chance to sponsor a book and lead book discussions in the fall.
With students running discussions, not only will more students be motivated to read a book with friends, but they also will work together in the way that the school wants.
While the faculty is still ironing out the finer details, the new summer reading policy will be introduced for the 2016-2017 school year at the beginning of next week.