Burlington Township
School District
Summer Reading Experience
B. Bernice Young School
Entering
Grade K
Reading Log Due:
Monday, September 10, 2012
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Dear Parents/Guardians:
The goal of Burlington Township School District’s Summer Reading Project is to follow the guidelines
set forth by the Department of Education in encouraging our students to develop a life-long love of reading.
This year’s summer reading project focuses on instilling the love of reading into the students. Your child
will complete a student/parent contract and a reading log to record all of the books that he or she has read
over the summer.
Please make sure your child submits a completed Summer Reading Log to his or her kindergarten teacher
by Monday, September 10, 2012.
Sincerely,
Dr. Denise King
Principal
B. Bernice Young School
Summer Reading Rationale
The following excerpt is taken from the United States Department of Education in its report: The
NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card for the Nation and the States
The act of reading, whether performed for pleasure or necessity, contributes greatly to the quality of our
daily lives. In the course of an average day, a typical American adult needs to read for a variety of reasons
in different situations. Days begin by reading the morning paper and proceed to the demands of reading in
the workplace. Most types of employment demand some reading, whether it is a memo, a manual, or more
complicated material.
Reading is also necessary for home and leisure activities. The ability to read instructions, recipes,
catalogues, or schedules permits daily life to proceed more smoothly. And daily life is immeasurably
enriched by reading for personal enjoyment or by reading a favorite story to a young child.
Beyond the spheres of work and home, the ability to read is essential to each citizen’s effective
participation in the affairs of his or her community, state, and nation. Reading and understanding accounts
of current events at the local and national level are necessary to the full exercise of civic responsibility.
The importance of reading for all children, who will be the future adults of America, underlies the need to
monitor student achievement in reading. While learning to read is the focus for early elementary school
education, one’s ability to read develops and acquires facility throughout the middle and secondary school
years.
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STUDENTS ENTERING KINDERGARTEN
SUMMER READING ACTIVITIES
Directions:
Use the attached sheets of paper:
1. Read one or more books each week. Discuss books with your grownups and complete your
Summer Reading Log together.
2. Select books from our list, your home, public library, online, or anywhere you find books!
o How to get a free library card online from Burlington County Library:
http://www.bcls.lib.nj.us/about/borrowing.shtml
o Try audio books as part of your Summer Reading Experience. They can be found at
the Burlington County library website.
http://www.bcls.lib.nj.us/
o Download audio books and kids’ picture books:
http://ebooks.bcls.lib.nj.us/
PROJECT:
Complete a student/parent contract and a Summer Reading Log to record all of the books that
you read over the summer.
Return your completed Summer Reading Log to your kindergarten teacher by September
10, 2012. Students who complete the project will be awarded a special certificate and a
coupon for a free ice cream cone from Ummm Ice Cream Parlor for their reading and
hard work. Teachers will encourage students to share about the books they read this
summer!
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THE FIVE FINGER RULE
By using this method, you can independently choose an appropriate book that is just
right for you!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pick a book of interest.
Open the book to any page.
Start reading the page.
Hold up one finger for EVERY word that you do not know
the meaning of or that you have a great deal of difficulty
pronouncing.
0 - 1 Fingers - book is too EASY
2 - 3 Fingers - the book is at the INTEREST level
4 - Fingers - the book is at the CHALLENGE level
5 Fingers - the book is at the FRUSTRATION level and
not a good choice for now
I PICK
1. I choose a book.
2. P urpose—Why do I want to read it?
3. I nterest—Does it interest me?
4. C omprehend—Am I understanding what I am reading?
5. K now—I know most of the words.
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Suggested Summer Reading Books For Students Entering Kindergarten
The following are suggestions of books that you may read with your child. They may
be found in the local library or bookstore. Also, you may use any age appropriate
books from home. *The Burlington Township School District recommends that parents review
these books/lists and make their own decision on the suitability of the books for their children.
From Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children- www.nea.org
Books for Children Ages 4-8
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
From Common Core Standards Recommended List
Literature Suggestions for K-1
Hi! Fly Guy (Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book (Awards)) Tedd Arnold
Pancakes for Breakfast Tomie dePaola
Are You My Mother? P.D. Eastman
Frog and Toad Together (I Can Read Picture Book) Arnold Lobel
Owl at Home (I Can Read Book 2) Arnold Lobel
Put me in the Zoo Robert Lopshire
Little Bear (An I Can Read Book)A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog (Boy, Dog, Frog) Mercer Mayer
Green Eggs and Ham Dr. Seuss
Poetry Suggestions for K-1
“Two Tree Toads” John Agee
“As I Was Going to St. Ives,” Anonymous
“Drinking Fountain” Marchette Chute
“Wouldn’t You?” John Ciardi
“Singing-Time,” Rose Fyleman
“Covers” Nikki Giovanni
“By Myself” Eloise Greenfield
“Poem” Langston Hughes
“Celebration” Alonzo Lopez
“Halfway Down” A.A. Milne
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“It Fell in the City” Eve Merriam
“Mix a Pancake,” Christina Rossetti
“Two Tree Toads” John Agee
Informational Texts Suggestions for K-1
My Five Senses (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) Aliki
A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver Aliki
A Tree Is a Plant (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science) Clyde Robert Bulla
Truck Donald Crews
I Read Signs (Reading Rainbow Books) Tama Hoban
Starfish (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science) Edith Thacher Hurd
“Garden Helpers,” National Geographic Young Explorers
“Wind Power,” National Geographic Young Explorers
Let’s Find Out About Ice Cream Mary Ebeltoft Reid
…additional Summer Reading Websites:
Storyline Online
http://www.storylineonline.net/
Kids Reads
www.kidsreads.com
BookHive
www.bookhive.org
Scholastic
www2.scholastic.com/browse/index.jsp
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Summer Reading Incentive Programs
Reading is Cool…. Sponsored by the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the
Workforce Investment Board’s Literacy Committee. In partnership with the Burlington County
Times and The Friends of the Library of Burlington. Visit the Public Library or read the Burlington
County Times for your entry form to enter a contest based on one of the suggested titles.
TD Bank (formerly Commerce Bank )
http://www.tdbank.com/summerreading/
Here's How It Works:
Read 10 books this summer.
Open the Summer Reading Form from the TD Bank website.
Print the form.
Fill in the form with the names of the books that you have read.
***$10 will be deposited into a new or existing Young Saver Account. One coupon per
Customer during promotional period. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Valid
May 5, 2012 through September 29, 2012. Bring form of ID for child for new account
opening.
More Free Summer Reading Programs
freebies.about.com/od/familyfreestuff/tp/summer-reading.htm
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SUMMER READING TIPS FOR PARENTS
Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most
students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to
read actually gain skills. Efforts should be made during the summer to help children sustain
reading skills, practice reading, and read for enjoyment.
Parents should remember that children need free time in the summer to relax and enjoy the
pleasures of childhood. So, summer reading should be fun. The following are a few tips to make
reading enjoyable for your children this summer:
Set a good example! Parents must be willing to model behavior for their children. Keep lots of
reading material around the house. Turn off the TV and have each person read his or her book,
including mom and dad.
Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it. This is the way to develop habits of
the mind and build capacity for thought and insight.
Let kids choose what they want to read, and don't turn your nose up at popular fiction. It
will only discourage the reading habit.
Buy books on tape. Listen to them in the car, or turn off the TV and have the family listen to
them together.
Take your children to the library regularly. Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs with
easy-to-reach goals for preschool and school-age children. Check the library calendar for special
summer reading activities and events. Libraries also provide age appropriate lists for summer
reading. See the following helpful links for obtaining a library card and downloading audio books:
Downloadable audio books and kids’ picture books:
http://ebooks.bcls.lib.nj.us/
How to get a library card:
http://www.bcls.lib.nj.us/about/borrowing.shtml
Get a library card online:
https://wwwe.auto-graphics.com/njlc/index.aspx
Subscribe, in your child's name, to magazines like Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights
for Children, or National Geographic World. Encourage older children to read the newspaper
and current events magazines to keep up the reading habit over the summer and develop
vocabulary. Ask them what they think about what they've read and listen to what they say.
Encourage children to keep a summer scrapbook. Tape in souvenirs of your family's summer
activities, picture postcards, ticket stubs, and photos. Have your children write the captions and
read them aloud as you look at the book together.
Copyright 1996-2004 WET
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WORKS CONSULTED IN DEVELOPING THIS PACKET
Campbell, J.R., & Donahue, P.L. Students Selecting Stories: The Effects of Choice in
Reading Assessment. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics,
1997. http://nces.ed.gov/naep/y25flk/97491.pdf
Donahue, K.E. Voelkl, J.R. Campbell, & J. Mazzeo. The NAEP 1998 Reading Report
Card for the Nation and the States, NCES 1999-500. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Education; Office of Educational Research and Improvement;
National Center for Education Statistics, March, 1999.
http://nces.ed.gov/naep/pubs/main1998/1999500.pdf
International Reading Association (IRA). “Teachers’ Choice for 2000: A Project of the
International Reading Association.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.
November 2000. www.reading.org/choices/choices_download.html
International Reading Association (IRA). “Young Adults’ Choices for 2000: A Project of
the International Reading Association.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.
November 2000. www.reading.org/choices/choices_download.html
National Education Association (NEA). “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children”. www.nea.org.
2007.
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