[kids-lib] Article: summer, the learning gap, and libraries

[Katie Anderson]

Hello!  There has been much buzz about Ode Magazine's article, "Summer vacations cause disadvantaged children to fall behind" on the Youth Service Consultants listserv. The article summarizes an interview with Karl Alexander, a sociology professor at John Hopkins University, who conducted a study on the achievement gap for the past 27 years.  The study shows the importance of visiting the library over the summer, and may be of use when advocating for your library.
Read the article online at:  http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/62/summer-vacations/ 
Key points from the article:
.        Education outside the classroom, through summertime activities rooted in family life, can boost kids' prospects for the future.
.        We've learned that summer vacations cause disadvantaged children to fall behind, whereas children from privileged families still make progress.
.        Low-income families are less likely to read books; go to the library, museum or theater; take music lessons; or do organized sports activities. Yet these experiences make a difference, with a visit to the library being the most discriminating factor of all.
 
Katie Anderson, Library Development Services
* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
katie.anderson at state.or.us, 503-378-2528
 
 
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