12201 New Hampshire Avenue  Silver Spring, MD 20904  301-989-5780  FAX 301-989-5696
Ms.Virginia A. de los Santos, Principal
Mr. J. Randy Gruber, Assistant Principal
Mr. Terrell Zimmerman, Assistant Principal
Reading for Success
White Oak Middle School
Summer Reading Program
301-989-5780
Rationale
Summer reading has been an expected practice in Montgomery County middle and high
schools since 1998. The ability to read is crucial to success in school and on the job.
Research shows that reading, like most skills, improves with practice and decreases when we
don’t engage in it for even a short time. Therefore, consistent with our commitment to
prepare students for success during the school year, we continue to expect all students to
read during the summer. Summer reading is an opportunity to read for pleasure as well as to
open doors to new ideas.
Summer Reading Expectations
Students are expected to read two books over the summer of approximately 150 pages or
more; one book must be selected from the following book list for the grade he or she is
entering in the fall. The second book may be one of his/her own choosing. Parents may be
asked to sign a note to indicate approval of the second book.
Assignment/Assessment
Students will select a project listed below for each book read. The project will be based on
one or more of the literary elements listed on the graphic organizer: setting, main character,
main events, author’s purpose, and theme. We also have added two technology based
assignments for students to creatively demonstrate their reading. Both programs are free
but do require registration. They are recommended from the MCPS Division of Accelerated
and Enriched Instruction. Students may also demonstrate their learning using traditional
resources. For example, they may design a postcard that shows the setting or act out a
scene from one of the main events. Students will receive two homework grades for their
projects and are not required to hand in the graphic organizer to earn a grade.
Book Lists
The books suggested are recommended from the county or are winners of prestigious book
awards. There is a variety of topical interests and different reading levels. Some are
multidisciplinary. The reading lists should also be available on the MCPS website and in our
local libraries.
At White Oak Middle School, we want to encourage students to read for pleasure as well as
for instructional purpose. Please help your student select books that interest him or her
personally. Parents are also more than welcome to read our suggested books during the
summer and share their opinions about the books with the teachers in the fall.
If you have further questions, please contact the English Content Specialist, Shasha Lowe at
[email protected], or 301-989-5780.
Summer enrichment and extension activities
We encourage students to do more than the minimum with learning. Here are some ideas for
projects to enhance and enrich the summer reading experience. These projects are an
opportunity to show your creative side. Select one project for each book read and connect it
to at least one literary element from the graphic organizer. Each project will count as a
homework grade. The important thing is to have fun doing this summer activity!
Ideas for projects
 Storybird.com – Create a visual representation of your book in eight or more slides.
E-mail it to your teacher for credit. Free registration required.
 Brochure- create a brochure that advertises why your book was exciting to read
 Postcard- create a postcard about your book
 “American Idol”- create a poem, song, or rap about your book (you may want to
videotape yourself and bring it in as your project)
 “Move & Groove”- create a cheer, dance or step routine to introduce something
interesting about your book
 Create/build a model about your topic (this works great with how-to books)
 Creative collage- create a collage, scrap book, or CD of digital pictures highlighting
some interesting facts or entertaining parts about your book
 “3,2,1…Action”- act out a scene from your book
 Fakebook wall – Build a profile of the main character in your novel using software
that is similar to the real thing. Just Google Fakebook to get started. Free
registration required.
White Oak Middle School Summer Reading
Literary Organizer
Please complete a literary organizer for each book.
Title of book:
Number of pages:
Author:
Student name/period:
Identify the following:
Setting: (Where/when the story takes place)
Main Character: (With description of character traits)
Main Events: (Two or more events that add to the action/plot of the story)
Author’s Purpose: (The writer’s goal he/she has for writing)
Theme: (The message or lesson the author tries to make known to the
reader.)
Rubric - Summer Reading
White Oak Middle School
Student Name:
____________________________ Date: _______
Author: _____________ Period: ___
Book Title: _____________________________________________
Directions: For each project, include evidence of one or more of the
following elements. Students will receive a separate rubric for each project.
Elements for project:
Present
Not Present
Setting
Yes
No
Main Character
Main Events
Author’s purpose
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Theme
Yes
No
Evidence of reading
Yes
No
Homework completion
Yes
No
Feedback:
Parent’s signature - ____________________________________________
White Oak Middle School Summer Reading
Literary Organizer
Please complete a literary organizer for each book.
Title of book:
Number of pages:
Author:
Student name/period:
Identify the following:
Setting: (Where/when the story takes place)
Main Character: (With description of character traits)
Main Events: (Two or more events that add to the action/plot of the story)
Author’s Purpose: (The writer’s goal he/she has for writing)
Theme: (The message or lesson the author tries to make known to the
reader.)
Rubric - Summer Reading
White Oak Middle School
Student Name:
____________________________ Date: _______
Author: _____________ Period: ___
Book Title: _____________________________________________
Directions: For each project, include evidence of one or more of the
following elements. Students will receive a separate rubric for each project.
Elements for project:
Present
Not Present
Setting
Yes
No
Main Character
Main Events
Author’s purpose
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Theme
Yes
No
Evidence of reading
Yes
No
Homework completion
Yes
No
Feedback:
Parent’s signature - ____________________________________________