Summer Reading Just Got a Boost for San Diego Students

Reading is a skill that improves with practice. Like any daunting task, reading must be performed regularly to sustain and experience growth. Yet, each year, thousands of budding readers close their books at the end of the school year, without picking up a book over the long summer months. “Summer slide” is the loss of significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break. The CSF and the San Diego Book Project collaborated to prevent this yearly phenomenon from happening at two San Diego reading room schools: Cherokee Point Elementary and Kimbrough Elementary. During the book giveaways, students filed into the distribution space to discover hundreds of popular children’s books at their disposal. Students were able to select a few books they wanted to read based on their interests and likes. Magic happens when children choose their own books. Emerging readers become more engaged and motivated to read, helping to build their confidence and skills. Each child also received a drawstring bag, making it easier to transport their books to wherever their travels take them this summer. The pilot program between the Carson Scholars Fund and San Diego Book Project was especially meaningful as the nonprofit is under the leadership of Sydney Mafong, a 6-time Carson Scholar. Although she is a high school student, Sydney’s goal, much like the Ben Carson Reading Project, is to foster a love of reading in younger students and improve literacy outcomes.

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