Chicago Public Schools Students Open Books and Minds Through Summer Reading

CHICAGO - As Chicago Public Schools’ students enjoy the second week of summer vacation, officials are reminding families and students of the many summer reading and literacy programs and resources across the city. Opening a book is another way to keep minds open and ready to learn when school resumes on Aug. 26.

“Amid historic elementary grade-level gains in literacy, it’s imperative we continue trending upward by hosting robust programming and opportunities across our schools,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “Our students continue to prove they are eager to learn and excel as they apply their skills and talents in the classroom and beyond.”

The CPS Department of Literacy is committed to supporting teachers and schools in providing literacy instruction to every CPS student that builds on students’ lived experiences, capitalizes on their cultural and linguistic assets, and requires students to reason deeply and problem solve creatively.

Elementary students continue to post academic gains in reading via the English Language Arts portion of the state’s assessment where preliminary results from the spring 2024 administration of the IAR show another five-point percentage gain for CPS third through eighth graders, continuing last year’s upward trend when students posted a 5.9-point percentage gain over the prior year. CPS ranked No. 1 in posting the greatest growth in reading from 2022 to 2023 among 40 large urban districts and the greatest net growth in reading from 2019 to 2023 - the most among large school districts in the U.S. The District’s combined 2022-23 growth in reading and math ranked as the third highest among large city districts. The District was one of just four large urban districts where students’ reading proficiency scores were better than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools across the District will continue summer literacy programming and initiatives. At William Howard Taft High School, the faculty opened “Cafe Relaxation” last week for fourth through sixth graders. The school has converted a classroom into a cafe-like environment with glass walls, replete with bean bag chairs, chess boards, a record player and accent lamps. A cafe wall has been prepped for student artwork and a vision board. Students will be invited to read, play board games, curate murals and enjoy arts and craft stations at the cafe which will remain open until July 25th. Northwest side families (with fourth through sixth graders) can register for Cafe Relaxation on the school’s website here.

“We want to give kids the opportunity to read for fun and pleasure over the summer," said Taft English teacher Brian Will, who co-created Cafe Relaxation with colleagues Nina Marshall and Gina O'Neill. “We hope the setting will emphasize that reading can be a fun, pleasurable, and rich experience. This setting can help students stay connected with each other and with learning in a fun and safe environment.”

Lane Tech College Prep revamped their English summer reading program to ensure that it was equitable in terms of how it would impact students' grades when they return for the upcoming school year. School officials created additional resources for students that cover a broad variety of topics to help continue fostering an appreciation of the English language arts. The school’s English department is updating its website to provide self-directed enrichment options to help students avoid summer learning loss.

Meanwhile, the District’s Virtual Academy is collaborating with Rudyard Kipling Elementary School in Princeton Park to launch a virtual literacy intervention program aimed to increase literacy and reading skills.

Research suggests summer learning and reading provides opportunities for enrichment and academic acceleration that supports continued social, emotional and academic growth. A 2016 study, “Learning from Summer: Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Urban Youth,” suggests that voluntary participation in summer literacy programs accounts for annual gains (20-25 percent) in reading and math achievement, along with mitigating summer learning loss.

“The summer months are a great time for students to participate in joyful summer reading and writing by accessing literacy programs available throughout the city,” said CPS Literacy Director Dr. Jane Fleming. “Our students will be able to capitalize on their already-impressive reading recovery by enhancing their literacy skills via District programming and through CPS partner organizations.”

The District’s libraries team offers a collection of high quality resources via the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Digital Learning. The collection of materials, which can be found at library.cps.edu, includes over 10,000 high-quality, culturally relevant e-books for all ages, as well as subscription databases for non-fiction reading, including Britannica Encyclopedia Online, Pebble Go for early learners, and Gale In Context for news articles and other current events topics.

Summer Bridge and other District summer programming will leverage the CPS audiobook collection, Learning Ally. Learning Ally audiobooks can be accessed by all students and staff throughout the summer by visiting safari.cps.edu and searching for the title of the book they are interested in.

At Marie Curie Metro High School, school staff hosts “Sophomore LEAD,” a three-week program that builds confidence and leadership skills through literacy, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and study skills. School-based staff including the school librarian, counselor and bilingual science teacher designed the program.

Meanwhile at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy, school librarian Lies Garner created a book club to keep students engaged by inviting them to the school during the summer months. Garner curates interest for the book club posting a school-wide newsletter. Students are encouraged to read books that are Bluestem State Book Award nominees. In addition to promoting reading, the club has also helped incoming transfer students become familiar with Hawthorne.

“The Book Club is a great chance for kids to have a reason to read and to stay connected,” said Garner. “ We want students to stay above the curve between school years by avoiding learning loss typically seen when the school year starts.”

CPS partner organization Chicago Public Library (CPL), in particular, is also offering branch-based summer programs. The CPL launched their programming last weekend including upcoming book clubs, community garden days, arts & crafts workshops, and ice cream socials, among other events. See the CPL’s summer programming here.

Also, the CPL has identified book themes for kids and teens surrounding Juneteenth, Pride Month, and curated book playlists.

“Chicago Public Schools’ long-standing collaboration with the CPL augments our work with theirs by offering exciting programming,” said CPL Commissioner Chris Brown. “I can’t wait to see how the combined series of literacy initiatives will provide the optimal outcome for our children.”

Comprehensive summer programs will run from June 24 through July 26 at hundreds of CPS locations where students can access extra academic and social and emotional support, explore new skills and stay connected to peers and their school communities so that they are ready and confident when the 2024–25 school year begins Aug. 26.

Registration is still open and can be found on the CPS website. Families can also contact their school principals anytime via email or phone to find out what programming will be available at their specific school. Examples of additional District summer programs include Summer of Algebra, Summer Start, Alumni Success Initiative, JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge, Acceleration at Freshman Connection Host Schools, and Out of School Time (OST).

The District will continue its ongoing collaborations with City partners such as the Chicago Park District, One Summer Chicago, and My CHI. My Future, among many others.

Other citywide summer literacy events include the Third Annual Words of Wonder (W.O.W.) Literary Festival, organized by Chicago non-profit organization, Burst Into Books, which will be held on Saturday, July 27 at Gately Park. Families can register here for a fun-filled day of interactive literacy and art programming, storytelling and workshops by nationally-known authors and illustrators, along with a wide range of performances, giveaways, and more.

For additional information regarding summer programming, please visit the CPS Summer Programs website.

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About Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students, beginning with the District’s free full-day preschool programming for four-year-old scholars and continuing through neighborhood, magnet and selective-enrollment elementary schools that provide a rigorous K-8 education with schools that specialize in the fine arts, world language and culture, dual language, STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB), classical programs, and more. The rising District-wide freshmen-on-track and high school graduation rates reflect the hard work of the CPS community, including families, staff, and students across 635 schools. CPS celebrates the diversity of its more than 323,000 students who cite 182 home languages. Learn more about CPS at www.cps.edu and connect with CPS on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.