Burlington Township
School District
Summer Reading Experience
B. Bernice Young School
Entering
Grade 3
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 third grade 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 3RD GRADE
SUMMER READING ACTIVITIES
Directions:
Use the attached sheets of paper:
1. Read one or more books (or four chapters) 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/
o Online books: Have your child log in to www.raz-kids.com using his/her username
and password, which was supplied by his/her second teacher.
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 3rd grade 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 3rd Grade
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
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
From Common Core Standards Recommended List
Literature Suggestions for 2nd-3rd
“The Fire Cat,” Esther Averill
The Stories Julian Tells Ann Cameron
My Father’s Dragon Ruth Stiles Gannett
The Raft Jim LaMarche
Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan
The One-Eyed Giant Mary Pope Osborne
Henry and Mudge: The First Book of Their Adventures Cythia Rylant
The Lighthouse Family: The Storm Cynthia Rylant
Poppleton in Winter Cynthia Rylant
The Treasure Uri Shulevitz
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa Erica Silverman
Amos and Boris William Steig
Tops and Bottoms Janet Stevens
Poetry Suggestions for 2nd-3rd
“Autumn,” Emily Dickinson
“Something Told the Wild Geese” Rachel Field
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Robert Frost
“Knoxville, Tennessee” Nikki Giovanni
“Grandpa’s Stories” Langston Hughes
“A Bat is Born” Randall Jarrell
“Weather” Eve Merriam
“Afternoon on a Hill,” Edna St. Vincent Millay
“Who Has Seen the Wind?” Christina Rossetti
“Eating While Reading” Gary Soto
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Informational Texts Suggestions for 2nd-3rd
A Medieval Feast Aliki
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions Around the World Selby Beeler
Crittercam Andrew Einspruch
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 Brian Floca
From Seed to Plant Gail Gibbons
Boy, We Were Wrong About Dinosaurs Kathleen V. Kudlinski
Bats: Creatures of the Night Joyce Milton
Art around the World Heather Leonard
Martin Luther King and the March on Washington Frances E. Ruffin
So You Want to Be President? Judith St. George
Where Do Polar Bears Live? Sarah L. Thomson
…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
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp
Here's How It Works:
Kids read any eight (8) books of their own choosing this summer and record them in the
Barnes & Noble Journal (downloadable in English or Spanish)
Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell about their favorite part of each book. A
parent/guardian signs the journal when it's complete.
Kids bring their completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble store before June
4th!
Barnes & Noble will give each student a coupon for a FREE book! The student chooses
from a list of available paperback titles.*
* Eligible books will be listed on the coupon. Choices must be made from available stock. No special
orders. Limit of one (1) form per school-age child (grades 1-6), please. Incomplete forms will be ineligible
for free book.
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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