Summer Reading Program Impact Study

Every summer, public libraries in every state offer a reading program. Anecdotal information shows that parents, children and teens love their summer reading program.  Staff at the Library of Virginia wanted to explore further the impact that library summer reading programs have on supporting summer learning and preventing summer reading loss. Partnering with the Virginia Department of Education, using a system that tracks what children are reading in the summer, and working with the expertise of an international research company, McREL, we are conducting a study on the impact of the summer reading program in Virginia.

The study began in 2013, and the final report was published in November 2015.

• Report One examines how many books participants read and if they are reading at their age level.  The report also provides information from a survey directed at the public libraries
• Report Two describes site visits to five Virginia public libraries. Interviews were conducted with parents and library staff to document best practices for the summer reading program. 
• Report Three examines the results of merging the data with the Virginia Department of Education reading tests. 
• Report Four is an examination of reading scores of children and teens who participated in the summer reading program for more than one year

Impact of Public Library Summer Reading Programs in Virginia infographic.

Overview of the study of the impact of the summer reading program

In 2013 McREL purchased Edvantia who was originally awarded the bid for the study.

Report One

• Highlights of the report
  • Children ages 0 to 5 read or were read to an average of 24 books.
  • Children ages 6 to 12 read an average of 11 books.
  • Teens ages 13 to 17 read an average of 7 books.
  • 84% of children in grades 1-7 were reading at or above their reading level.
  • 29% of the teens in grades 8-12 were reading at or above their reading level.

    When libraries rewarded reading varied.  Depending on the library, incentives were given to readers weekly, throughout the program, or at the end of the program. 

    Incentives were awarded for a variety of reasons: reading a certain number of books, reading a specific number of pages, the amount of time spent reading, visiting the library, and through random drawings

    The average length of a summer reading program in Virginia public libraries was eight weeks.

    Librarians indicated that the top three reasons the summer reading program is successful are parent involvement, a variety of library activities, and community support of the program.

• Full report - Impact of Virginia Public Libraries’ Summer Reading Program: Library of Virginia Year 1 Report

Report Two

• Highlights of the report
  • Parents valued the opportunities to engage in reading with their children throughout the summer.  Motivation and achievement in school were described as reasons to continue participating in the summer reading program, especially when there was alignment with reading standards.  Programming was described as exciting for children and encouraged reading through prizes, presentations and opportunities for socializations. 
  • Parents described library staff as welcoming, accommodating and informative. 
    
    
• Full report - Impact of Virginia Public Libraries’ Summer Reading Program: Library of Virginia Site Visit Report

Report Three

• Highlights of the report
  • Children and teens who attended summer reading programs performed better academically and experienced greater gains in their academic performance than their nonparticipating peers.  Participants out-performed nonparticipants on tests across all measures and grades, kindergarten through 8.
  • The effect of summer reading programs did not differ by gender, limited English proficiency status, or economically disadvantaged status.
    
    
• Full report - Impact of Virginia Public Libraries’ Summer Reading Program: Library of Virginia Year 2 Report
• Webinar  - McREL presents finding from the third year of the study

Report Four

• Highlights of the report
  • This study involved a quasi-experimental design with matched comparisons with 4,199 students who were entering fourth, fifth, and sixth grades across 46 library systems in Virginia.
  • Participation in summer reading programs may have a positive effect on student achievement outcomes by preventing learning loss even two years after participation.
  • Thirty-five percent of the 2013 Summer Reading Program participants and 5% of the comparisons also participated in the 2014 Summer Reading Program.
  • Repeat participants benefited the most from their participation in the 2013 and 2014 Summer Reading Programs, followed by those who only participated in the 2013 program.
  • Taken together, summer reading programs may prevent summer reading loss or even facilitate learning gains when schools are not in session.
    
    
• Full report - Impact of the Virginia Public Libraries/Summer Reading Program � Longitudinal Study
• Webinar  - McREL presents finding from the fourth year of the study

Libraries who participated in the study

Alexandria Library 
Amherst County Public Library - participated only in year one  of the study
Appomattox Regional Library - participated only  in year one of the study
Augusta County Library  - participated in the site visit – Report Two
Bedford Public Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Blue Ridge Regional Library
Buchanan County Public Library  - participated in the site visit – Report Two
Campbell County Public Library
Caroline Library Inc
Central Rappahannock Regional Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Chesapeake Public Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Charles Pinckney Jones Memorial Library
Chesterfield County Public Library  - participated in the site visit – Report Two,  Impact analysis provide  - Report Three
Cumberland County Public Library
Essex Public Library
Hampton Public Library  - Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Handley Regional Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Heritage Public Library
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
L.E. Smoot Memorial Library
Meherrin Regional Library
Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library
Newport News Public Library
Norfolk Public Library
Orange County Public Library
Pamunkey Regional Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Petersburg Public Library
Pittsylvania County Public Library
Poquoson Public Library
Portsmouth Public Library
Powhatan County Public Library
Pulaski County Public Library System
Radford Public Library
Richmond Public Library
Roanoke County Public Library – Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Roanoke Public Library – participated in the site visits – Report Two
Russell County Public Library
Salem Public Library
Shenandoah County Library
Southside Regional Library
Staunton Public Library
Virginia Beach Public Library  - participated in the site visits – Report Two,  Impact analysis provided – Report Three
Washington County Public Library
Waynesboro Public Library
Williamsburg Regional Library