Photo courtesy of The Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

School starts again in just over a week, and it’s a busy time for families. Stocking up on classroom supplies, scrutinizing bus routes, scheduling haircuts, trying to squeeze in one last moment of fun before the bell rings… these last few days of summer can be a chaotic, but exciting time for both kids and parents.

But for many local students and educators, summer wasn’t just a chance to rest and recharge. Instead, these past months have given them an opportunity to learn, grow and prepare for the year ahead.

That’s important, because many students in our area are falling behind in their reading skills. The state of Florida measures students’ literacy level on a scale of one to five, with three defined as performing at one’s grade level. In Sarasota County, one out of every three third-graders is falling short of that standard, and in neighboring counties, the numbers are even more troubling. According to the most recent data, 40 percent of students in Charlotte County, 48 percent in Manatee County and 58 percent in DeSoto County are falling behind.

Summer literacy programs supported by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and other funders are working to change that by helping both students and teachers. This summer, that work began in June, not long after the school year ended, when the Sarasota County school district hosted its second annual Literacy for All Institute, funded in part through our foundation’s Strauss Literacy Initiative.

The intensive two-day event brought together more than 200 educators and administrators and featured respected national figures like Diane Sweeney, author of The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching. The goal? To share best practices in how to help struggling readers catch up and how to better integrate the work of literacy interventionists and literacy coaches into the everyday work that happens in classrooms.

Literacy interventionists offer crucial support to students who are underperforming in their reading by providing specific individualized assistance to help close the achievement gap between them and their peers. Literacy coaches, meanwhile, collaborate with classroom teachers to make sure that lesson plans are designed to maximize their impact on students’ reading ability. School leaders, in turn, are tasked with integrating all of these various learning strategies to make sure that underperforming students can reach their full potential.

Summer learning continued for students, too. Complementing the support for instructors, students worked on their reading skills thanks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties’ slate of summertime programs. Among other investments, the Strauss Literacy Initiative allowed the clubs to hire Sarasota County teachers to work with more than 170 members on their reading skills as part of summer camp at the clubs. The educators designed fun, interactive lessons based on strategies used in the classroom during school, connecting the students’ summertime learning to the instruction they receive during the rest of the year.

Of course, these sessions were just one part of a busy day for club members, which included a variety of fun and important activities like swimming lessons, art and STEM projects, educational games and socializing, and members were even able to receive mental health support and enjoy healthy meals. The Boys & Girls Clubs are a key partner for the Community Foundation because of their emphasis on supporting whole families.

Add all of that summer work up and it means that when the doors open next week and students rush in to find their seat, both they and their teachers will be ready to take their reading to the next level.

Kirsten Russell is Vice President of Community Impact, The Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Photo courtesy of The Community Foundation of Sarasota County.