Dive Brief:

• Educators stress that it is important to ensure that the resources and commitment for students are present at home as well as school in regard to strengthening literacy, according to a report released by Scholastic.
• A majority of educators wish more time was devoted to independent reading, and 96% said year-round access to books is “important to enhancing student achievement,” while about half of educators worry students don't have adequate reading materials at home.
• The study also found that 31% of school libraries have fewer than 50 books, and that 37% of teachers reported they couldn't update school libraries more than every couple of years, if they ever do.

Dive Insight:

Year-round reading is vital for the continued development of students, and educators encourage it to combat literacy losses during the summer break. Most educators said public libraries were the primary access source to books for students during summer months, but potential federal cuts and austerity measures by states can make it difficult to rely on libraries alone as sources of continued summer reading.

Some educators provide reading materials for the summer, but schools could partner with nonprofits that are based in communities to ensure there are pipelines for reading materials when school doors are shuttered and libraries are unavailable. Organizations like Barbershop Books are community spaces for students to get reading material independent of the whims of budget cuts, and schools could work to promote organizations like these to parents and students prior to the start of summer.