KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo Public School’s summer reading program will be expanding this year to make sure that all elementary grade students have access to books when school is on summer break.
The Kalamazoo school board has approved spending just over $100,000 to buy grade appropriate books that will be sent home with all their elementary students.
The goal is to reduce what has been dubbed “Summer Slide,” the loss of academic skills during summer vacation, and of course to encourage reading.
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Instruction Dr. Angela Justice says this summer the program will be expanding to all elementary grades.
“From just 2nd to 5th Grade, to K and 1st graders too, they also receive a family interaction guide with a workbook and a journal to record their thoughts about the books… so we’re really excited about that.”
Trustee Carol McGlinn says it’s not a new program, but it’s a great one.
“Sending books to kids it’s such a great thing, we’ve been doing that for many many years and it’s so important to just have those kids have those books in hand,” McGlinn says.
The books will be given to the students in a drawstring bag to save shipping costs. The students will get to add them to their home library and keep the bag too.
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