Summer Reading Program Goals for StudentsThe University of Maryland Summer Reading Program strives to help children
become more strategic, motivated , and reflective about their reading.
Strategic readers and writers have a plan. They have tricks up their sleeve for solving problems. For example, when they come to a word they don't recognize immediately, strategic readers have a technique for identifying the word. If they don't understand the meaning of a word, they have ways to determine or approximate its meaning. If they don't understand something, they will take steps to fix the problem. When strategic writers must accomplish a task, they organize their ideas, write rough drafts, followed by revisions, until they accomplish their original purpose.
Motivated readers and writers choose to read or write. They read and write for different purposes, choosing their materials accordingly. When individuals feel competent as readers and writers and value those tasks, they will be more willing to engage in literacy activities. This engagement will strengthen and support their skills.
Reflective readers and writers think about the reading and writing they do. They also think critically about themselves - their purposes for reading and writing, their competence at these tasks, and their personal interests.
In order to achieve the goals of the program, an individualized plan is designed based on the student's strengths and needs which are identified during an initial diagnostic screening. One child, for example, may have adequate word identification and decoding skills but demonstrate weak comprehension when reading. Another child may have a good vocabulary and strong listening comprehension skills but have difficulty decoding words due to limited knowledge of the alphabetic principle. These are the types of strengths and needs that may be determined at an initial screening and they provide the Summer Reading Program teacher with a starting place for planning and implementing appropriate instruction for the child. Throughout the program, teachers engage in a process of continual, dynamic assessment in order to ensure that instruction is always appropriate in meeting the child's needs.
©Copyright 2005 Department of Curriculum & Instruction • College of Education • University of Maryland
College Park • Maryland • 20742 • 301-405-EDCI (3324) • Website maintained by Sei-Hwa Jung
Last Modified Mar. 10, 2005
College Park • Maryland • 20742 • 301-405-EDCI (3324) • Website maintained by Sei-Hwa Jung
Last Modified Mar. 10, 2005