Virtual Summer Reading Program
Combat summer reading loss and help struggling and new students catch-up during the school year with accelerated reading tracks aligned to the Reading Horizons method.
The Summer Learning Slide and the Achievement Gap
Research has proven a "summer learning slide" takes place for students every year, this slide being more drastic for those students who are economically disadvantaged or who are already behind their peers in reading and math. An effective program can help struggling students bridge the achievement gap. Expedited learning can also be used during the school year to catch new students up on a program that their peers have already been using, give struggling students another opportunity to build their skills, and for students with prolonged absenses from health or family related concerns.
Our Solution
Reading Horizons is uniquely positioned to provide a premier learning solution to your school or district. For over 35 years, we have created and combined both digital and classroom resources to provide engaging reading instruction that is based on the science of reading.
Our summer (or accelerated) learning tracks can be used in the classroom, hybrid, or virtual settings. The program utilizes virtual and offline resources to help students preview or review the foundational reading skills that have been proven to lead to reading success for beginning and struggling readers. By exposing your students to these crucial phonics-based skills during the summer, they will be prepared to stay on pace with instruction during the coming school year.
TALK WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
Program Details
Who is the program for?
The program can be catered to beginning readers, struggling readers, and English Language Learners in grades K-12. Separate learning settings will be available to target the needs of students in kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, and grades 4+. There will also be separate settings for students who are new to the program versus students who have been previously receiving Reading Horizons instruction.
Schedule & Timeline
The recommended schedule for students to engage with this program is 3-6 days a week for 60 minutes a day.
The program includes 24 days of instruction that can be spread across a 4-8 week time frame.
Virtual Platform
Students and teachers will access all of the program resources (with a link to the software portion) from our summer reading portal. Teachers are free to post the resources from that page onto the platform of their choice (Google Classroom, Canvas, email, etc.).
Virtual Lessons
Students will learn the foundational skills taught in the Reading Horizons method through virtual lessons taught by certified Reading Horizons trainers (or their own teacher). These lessons provide hands-on structured literacy instruction that students can easily follow, as a model student shows them how to interact with the video instruction.
Online Software
After viewing the virtual lesson each day, students will log in to the software component of the program to do some activities that emphasize the skills taught in the virtual lesson. If students show mastery during these activities, their instruction for that lesson will be complete. If students show that they need more practice with the skill, the software will provide additional instruction and activities. This provides teachers with a way to monitor student progress and assure that students are participating in the program.
Offline Resources
If students have limited or no internet access, we also have student packets available for additional student practice. Students can then submit these packets at the end of each week so teachers can monitor their progress and provide feedback. Ideally, a student in this circumstance could still use a parent’s phone to watch the virtual lesson on YouTube or work with a teacher in person before completing the packet.
Interested? Take the next step.
This summer reading program includes both free and paid tools. The free tools are available on our virtual classroom portal. If your school or district would like to utilize the online software portion of the program for assessment, progress monitoring, student accountability, and additional student practice, you will need to contact your account representative to purchase a software license.
Summer Professional Development
Teachers can learn more about this method on their own schedule with the Reading Horizons Online Professional Development Course. This course provides educators with a complete overview of the Reading Horizons method. This method provides a practical and engaging approach for implementing the science of reading into the classroom. The course was recently updated with a new learning module about spelling instruction. At the completion of each module, educators are awarded a Certificate of Completion that can be submitted for professional development credit. The course can be paused and saved at any time.