It doesn’t take long for students to lose some of the academic progress they have made during the school year by sitting idle over the summer, so HISD is challenging second-graders to use the power of reading to combat the dreaded “summer slide.” 

HISD is providing all second-grade students with a summer backpack filled with six books, a reading journal, graphic organizers, at-home family activities, reading log, colored pencils and a postcard. Experts agree that children who read during the summer months keep their reading skills sharp and are better prepared for the challenges of the next grade level. 

This book pack will also provide parents with an opportunity to spend quality time with their child while they help to build their child’s comprehension, vocabulary, and critical-thinking skills. Parents can help their child minimize regression this summer by investing a small amount of time into the learning activities provided in the backpack. 

In addition to the books and activity sheets, students are encouraged to check out the Scholastic Summer Challenge website at Scholastic.com/Summer for free summer reading resources, including games, message boards, book logs, a book trivia Web cast, and information about reading for the world record.