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HomeNewsArchivesFree Books Available Online for V.I. Elementary School Students

Free Books Available Online for V.I. Elementary School Students

Elementary students across the territory are eligible to obtain free books, according to a press release from Dr. Sarah F. Mahurt, the Education Department’s deputy commissioner for Curriculum and Instruction. “Free books for children going into the third, fourth and fifth grades are now available online at: www.textproject.org./summerreads, and parents are urged to visit the Web site and select books free of charge for their children to keep them occupied in a safe and educational manner during the long summer days,” she said.

“Research has shown the many benefits to children who read books, such as helping to raise their reading levels. Students who don’t read much over the summer show a decline in reading performance from the end of one grade to the start of the next, but even reading 4 or 5 books over the summer helps to prevent the summer slump,” said Mahurt.
She noted that during a 2001-2004 study researchers provided 12 paperback books each summer to 842 randomly selected students in the first, second and third grades. Students self–selected the books at book fairs held at the end of each school year. After three years, the researchers compared the reading achievement of these students against that of a control group of 428 students who had not received any books. The researchers found that students who had received free books had significantly higher achievement than those who had not. Furthermore, the achievement gains were comparable to providing summer school programs and far less expensive.
The deputy commissioner further encouraged parents to have their children sign up for a library card at their local library and to take advantage of the Governor’s Reading Challenge.
For more information, contact Dr. Mahurt at 773-1095, ext. 7029.
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