Discussion A primary goal of Schenectady City School District’s integration of LitCamp into its Summer Enrichment Program was to sustain students’ literacy skills over the summer—a time when students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have a tendency to lose some of the skills and reading achievement gains made during the previous school year (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2001). The district’s decision to provide two hours of LitCamp instruction daily to students was associated with promising trends for students’ Oral Reading Fluency subtest scores (AIMSweb), in particular for EL LitCamp students (Grades 1–5) who displayed slightly greater gains than the EL comparison students. The LitCamp model used as part of the district’s Summer Enrichment Program generated important findings for reading behaviors and attitudes as well as social-emotional learning. Specifically, after participating in LitCamp, Grade 3 students reported a significant increase in their courage to read books that might be hard to read. Increasing students’ belief in themselves as avid, varied, and confident readers and writers is critical to their later academic success (Graham, Berninger, & Fan, 2007; Liew, McTigue, Barrois, & Hughes, 2008; Unrau & Schlackman, 2006). Furthermore, the skills LitCamp provides can support students’ academic endeavors throughout the school year as well as throughout the summer when resources may be less accessible. Additionally, reading behavior and attitude outcomes were also evident for students in Grade 5. Specifically, the percentage of Grade 5 students reporting reading different kinds of books and liking or loving to read over the summer increased significantly after participating in LitCamp . The increased receptiveness to reading exhibited by these students came the summer before Grade 6—a pivotal time when confidence is critical for helping students through the challenges of adjusting to middle school. LitCamp also succeeded in improving students’ social-emotional skills; a majority of teachers reported that LitCamp was effective at developing students’ curiosity, friendship skills, and kindness along with other social-emotional skills. Additionally, teachers expressed that LitCamp—which seeks to create a respectful community of readers, writers, and listeners— seemed to foster a greater sense of community among students as demonstrated by student displays of kindness and empathy.
LITCAMP EVALUATION IN SCHENECTADY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 15
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs