L.A. Unified Fights Summer Slump in Reading Skills

Children in at least 38 Los Angeles schools will participate in a summer reading program starting next month in response to President Clinton’s call for increased literacy efforts, Los Angeles Unified School District officials announced Friday.

The newly formed L.A. Reads is one of 15 pilot programs selected nationwide to be part of the Read*Write*Now campaign. The U.S. Department of Education volunteer project seeks to further Clinton’s goal to have all children reading well by the end of third grade.

To keep students from slipping into a lazy summertime slump, district elementary and middle school students will be encouraged to read 30 minutes a day and, once a week, with a parent or adult volunteer. Each child will get a kit with a reading log and a book of reading and writing activities.

District officials said they hope to reach the approximately 38,000 students from lower-income areas selected for the program, as well as other children in the district whose parents are interested.

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley announced the program Friday at Boyle Heights’ Utah Elementary School. “It’s very clear that a young person, especially from a disadvantaged background who doesn’t have books in the house, falls behind,” Riley said. “Reading and writing are skills that take constant practice. The summer lag makes the difference.”

School officials said L.A. Reads will reinforce the importance of books to children who aren’t getting that message at home.

“A lot of these kids aren’t hiding those flashlights under the bedspread and reading late at night,” said Margaret Jones, administrator of specially funded programs for the district. “They’re substituting videos and movies for books. This will help the children involved remember the skills they learned and not forget over summer months. They need to see reading is important, not just something you do in school.”

High school and college students and other volunteers will pair up with children who do not have a parent to read with them, program coordinators said.

These learning partners will read out loud with children and make sure they have library cards. Students will also be urged to learn one new vocabulary word a day.

Each participating school will receive about $2,000 for books and resources and will designate a site coordinator to match children with reading partners. For now, funding is coming from federal Title I money, district officials said.

School libraries may remain open for children to use and the district is hoping to get some donations of books, coordinators said.

At the end of the summer, children who have successfully completed the program receive a certificate and a coupon for a free pizza at Pizza Hut.

The district will evaluate the program as a model for future year-round literacy efforts, officials said.

Next year, the federal government hopes to pay for 25,000 reading specialists who will work in communities throughout the country, Riley said.

Many parents may realize the value of encouraging their children to read, but forget to emphasize it amid the daily rush of their lives, school leaders said.

“[This program] is a reminder to parents,” said Mike Roos, president of the LEARN program. “I come home tired and the last thing I want to do is pick up a book. But I do and you literally can see the illumination in their eyes.

“This supports that idea that if you just take a small part of the day and read to a child, the consequences are going to be exciting and permanent.”

Some children acknowledged that they rarely crack open a book during their much-prized days of summer break.

“No way, it’s vacation!” scoffed Utah Elementary student Christina Loa, 10.

But her friend Fabiola Centeno, 10, said she tries to make time for reading.

“Usually on Sundays I go to the library with my older sister and get three or four books to read,” said the fourth-grader. “It’s vacation, but I like to read a little too.”

Ruben Zacarias, who takes the helm of the school district next month, told Utah Elementary students that they could never open too many books.

“The message I have to leave here is for you young people,” he said. “We believe in you, we care for you, we want you to succeed--read, read, read.”

Volunteers and parents can call (888) LA-READS for more information.