Commentary: New chapter for literacy in Philly

By Siobhan A. Reardon

and Jenny Bogoni

With the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last month and the presidential debates around the corner, many of the country's most important issues are at the forefront of our public consciousness.

In Philadelphia, where more than one in three children are living below the federal poverty level, and more than half of third graders cannot read on grade level, the issues surrounding childhood literacy and creating opportunities for our youth have never been more important. This summer, our city has worked harder than ever to keep our children academically engaged to prevent summer learning loss. But with summer programming winding down in the gap before school starts, there is still work to be done to prevent the summer slide.

That's why we're calling on all Philadelphians to maintain the reading momentum we've built this summer.

Without active learning opportunities, students can lose two to three months of math and reading skills over the summer. A student who experiences this "summer slide" each year will be a full 12 months behind by the time he or she enters fourth grade. To make matters worse, research shows this summer learning loss disproportionately impacts low-income students, which characterizes much of the youth in our city.

That's why the Free Library of Philadelphia and its partners have made curbing summer learning loss a top priority. We've spearheaded several summer learning initiatives in close partnership with Read by 4th - a citywide effort of more than 100 organizations convened and managed by the Free Library - that aim to dramatically increase the number of students entering fourth grade at reading level by 2020.

This summer, as part of the Free Library's eight-week "Summer of Wonder" reading program, students debated the classics in teen book clubs, outmaneuvered each other in game tournaments, and got messy doing hands-on science experiments. The initiative called on more than 50,000 children, teens, and adults to celebrate all the things to wonder about in our city and in books.

Mayor Kenney also upped the ante with "Read and Ring" - a program encouraging students to leave a message telling the mayor what they're reading and reviewing the book. (It's not too late for kids to leave a message for the mayor. Just call 267-689-READ.) In addition, the Mayor's Playstreet Book Club, a program designed to provide free books to young people at outdoor meal sites, continues.

Perhaps most significantly, Read by 4th took a big leap in reaching more of Philadelphia's students this summer. The coalition expanded by partnering with more than 140 summer camps that are infusing reading into daily activities or focused entirely on increasing literacy skills. Students at camps of all kinds throughout the city took part in read-alouds, literacy games, and a host of other programs. Through this outreach, we brought summer literacy to more than 4,000 additional children.

In addition, more than 50 Free Library locations hosted drop-in programming and summer classes, and a dozen library outreach workers visited summer programs throughout the city. Our Read by 4th partners, from the Philadelphia Housing Authority and the Parks and Recreation Department to nonprofits like Philadelphia Reads and Literacy How, worked tirelessly to ensure that as many children as possible had access to books and enriching learning experiences during summer months.

With summer ending and just a few weeks until students head back to school, it's imperative that we don't fall behind on the great strides we've made. We're asking each and every Philadelphian to join our mission to keep our city's children actively reading and entering fourth grade at reading level with the skills to succeed.

Bring your children to the library. Select a book from the School District of Philadelphia's suggested book lists. Become a tutor. Volunteer for Read by 4th or at your local library. Check out Readby4th.org for ideas.

Literacy in Philadelphia matters. We all have a part to play. The time is now to join together and let reading ring.

Siobhan A. Reardon is president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. @FLPDirector

Jenny Bogoni is executive director of Read by 4th. @JennyBogoni