As most students and faculty know, each summer students going into grades 6-12 have a list of books that they have to read for the upcoming school year. This past year the high school summer reading system was changed for students entering grades 9-12. Previously, each grade level was divided into the English class level and had one or more assigned books to read. However, the English department felt that this year we, as a school, should take a new look at how students are asked to read. They tried a new system in which each grade level was divided by English class level. The Honors level was required to read one book for their upcoming curriculum and a book of choice. Students taking SCP English the following year were only instructed to read one book which was allowed to be chosen. The books on the choice list were sponsored by teachers from around the school, extending outside of the English department. They nominated books they felt were good, worthwhile reads, that students would be interested in. We reviewed the required book with our English classes, and spent a flex block discussing our choice book with a small group with students from all grades.
As students who took part in this new system, we liked this system better than how we had done summer reading in the past. The changes we would like to see to make this system even better, are having a certain couple of questions that you need to answer to be able to participate in the flex block discussions. Then for those who didn’t answer the questions (meaning they probably did not read) can spend their flex learning about the book they should have read, or analyzing excerpts from the book and writing a review paragraph. The new policy gave students more freedom to choose a genre they are interested in which made reading more enjoyable.