Time to get serious about Wellesley schools summer reading, 2019

Not to be a summer buzzkill or anything, but Wednesday, August 28 is the the first day of school for all Wellesley Public School kids. Those summer reading books aren’t going turn their own pages, so it’s time for students to get down to it. Wellesley’s teachers and librarians have put long thought into what makes a riveting summer read, the type that will encourage students to cozy up and enjoy the pleasures of a good book. So whether your readers are at home, on summer vacation, or at camp, supply them with a pile of reading material, then stand back and let them do their thing.

Generally, elementary students are encouraged to read at least 30 minutes per day. At the middle school each student must read two books of their choice, and each grade has an assignment attached to those books. At the high school level the assigned book(s) depends on which class the student is taking.

Summer reading, Wellesley elementary schools

Elementary school students are encouraged to keep a list of some of their summer reading titles and to read approximately 30 minutes per day. You can access the entire elementary schools summer reading list here. The titles on the extensive list was put together by a dream team of library teachers representing each of the seven elementary schools in town.

A new Summer Reading Challenge has been rolled out this year. Students are asked to keep track of books they’ve read such as “a Caldecott award winner” or “an audiobook I listened to.”

There’s also a “Book Buzz” form that asks six questions about their summer reading (examples:  “The book that surprised me most was…” and “The most unusual place I read was…”).

More information on this will be announce by teachers in each individual elementary school.

Summer reading, Wellesley Middle School

There are three WMS summer reading lists, one for entering sixth graders, one for entering seventh graders, and one for entering eighth graders. Each list has an assignment on the final page. The list includes genres such as realistic, historical, graphic, action, adventure, non-fiction, and much more.

Summer reading, Wellesley High School

Wellesley High School students are required to read the text assigned for their specific English course plus one book of their choice. At the start of the year, their English teacher will explain how summer reading will be assessed. In the past, some examples of possible assessments are in-class essays, a Socratic seminar, a test, or a book review. See Guide to Success in English for general active reading strategies. Here’s a link to the Wellesley High School summer reading list.