Summer With the Library

A program of the CT State Library, All CT Reads is a year-long initiative to promote lifelong reading, learning, and connection that uses a rotating community committee structure to select one main book title and three shortlist book titles, each calendar year for three age groups: kids (ages 8-12), teens (ages 13-18), and adults. In addition to the books, All CT Reads provides a supported programmatic structure for CT libraries built around the titles with room for individuality and creativity.

No Child Left Inside's Great Park Pursuit encourages families to get back outside and explore many of the CT DEEP State Parks and Forests with CT DEEP staff and partners learning about different environmental themes during the months of May and June

Children in your community do not need to go hungry this summer. During the school year, nutritious meals are available through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). These programs end when school ends for the summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps fill the hunger gap by providing nutritious meals and snacks for children ages 18 and younger.

CT Pages is a channel for sharing community engagement success stories by libraries with and for their communities. Beginning in fall 2021, the CT State Library Division of Library Development is partnering with CT libraries to create and release short video conversations with the library staff who make things happen!

A look at a few popular literacy practices that shouldn’t make the cut—along with fresh strategies that experienced teachers and literacy experts recommend instead.

Public libraries are an integral part of every community’s learning ecosystem, particularly in the summer when youth and their families rely on institutions, such as the public library, to provide both safe spaces and free, high-quality activities that are both fun and educational. Recent studies show that all youth experience learning loss in reading as well as academic areas over the summer if they do not participate in a range of educational activities that keep their brains engaged. These factors and others point to a need for libraries to revisit their traditional summer reading program model in order to ensure that the services and resources they provide meet the needs of today’s youth and their families.

The evidence suggests that many types of summer learning programs have the potential to reduce summer learning losses and perhaps create learning gains. However, implementing a summer program does not guarantee positive effects on students’ learning. A key question then is: What factors make a summer learning program effective?

-Is it possible to “lose” learning?
-Do summer learning loss patterns replicate across modern assessments?
-To the degree there are test score drops, are they concentrated among high-poverty students and schools?

Over the last several years, libraries’ summer reading programs have begun to transform into summer learning programs. What’s the difference? Why does it matter?

The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) is a national, non-profit organization whose mission is to convince, connect, and equip program providers, education leaders, families, and communities to deliver high-quality summer learning opportunities to our nation’s children and youth in order to help close the achievement and opportunity gap and support healthy development.

Libraries are a central learning hub where any and all can come and learn. They are using their multiple resources and many years of experience to support summer learning interests of diverse learners and all ages.