Revisiting Silent Reading —
Abstract of

Chapter 5
Can Silent Reading in the Summer Reduce Socioeconomic Differences in Reading Achievement?

Thomas G. White

James S. Kim

This chapter addresses an important issue for teachers and researchers. The question authors Thomas G. White and James S. Kim ask is whether socioeconomic differences in reading achievement can be reduced by programs that encourage silent reading in the summer months. In the years following school entry, children of low socioeconomic status (SES) lose ground in reading relative to their high-SES counterparts. This widening achievement gap may be largely the result of different rates of learning during the summer months. White and Kim explore possible reasons for summer loss and discuss the potential of voluntary summer reading programs for reducing it. After describing two experiments they conducted and some current attempts by school districts to implement programs modeled after theirs, White and Kim reach a cautious conclusion: The overall quality and details of the programs are apt to matter and more research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the observed effects.

White, T.G., & Kim, J.S. (2010). Can Silent Reading in the Summer Reduce Socioeconomic Differences in Reading Achievement?. In E.H. Hiebert, & D. Reutzel (Eds.), Revisiting Silent Reading (pp. 67-91). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.