What's the most important factor in whether students gain or lose reading ability over the summer? Not surprisingly, it's how much a child reads. According to researcher Jimmy S. Kim, after correcting for factors such as socioeconomic level and previous achievement, children who read more books scored higher in reading comprehension in the fall than students who had read one or no books over the summer.

The Gap. And the most important factor in how much a child reads? Whether or not he or she owns books. It's not so surprising, then, that children from low-income families lose an average of three months' reading ability from June to September (Anne McGill-Franzen & Richard Allington). Meanwhile, middle-class students actually increase their reading ability over the summer. By the time students reach middle school, that gap has widened to a two-year difference in reading ability.

"Just Go to the Library." As is also the case with childhood obesity, the obvious answer may not be so obvious. Beyond no "ride to the library," neighborhood safety plays a big part in library accessibility. As McGill and Franzen also note, "research shows that public library use among poor children drops off when the library is more than six blocks from their home, compared with more than two miles for middle-class children." So: To keep up, children need to read. But poor children are less likely to own books, and less likely to get to the library. Some communities are reaching out to try to involve more lower-income children in library programs, while some districts are using school libraries' resources to bridge the gap.

What Works. If children have access to them, library reading programs work, whether school-based or public. Numerous studies have found that library programs are more effective in improving reading ability than day camp, direct instruction in summer school, or other summer reading programs. This is partly because library reading programs focus on free voluntary reading (although individual attention in the library helps children make greater gains). When children have an enjoyable experience with reading books that interest them, their interest in reading is stimulated and they are more likely to go on to read more. And the more they read, the better they read.

Learn More. Check out the links below for ideas and model programs: from book lists and interactive websites, to collaborations with parents and districtwide programs. Because there's nothing like a good book on a hot summer day.