For Immediate Release

Friday, Sept. 29, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

GLTS Sees Increase in Students Completing Summer Reading through Book Club Inspired Program

ANDOVER — Superintendent John Lavoie is pleased to announce that the Greater Lawrence Technical School showed its love for literature during the All School Summer Reading Program last week.

On Sept. 22, from 8:30-10 a.m., students in grades nine through 12, along with teachers, faculty and staff got together to talk about their summer reading.

The initiative began three years ago and is formatted like a book club, providing students with a more real-life experience as to how literature is discussed.

“We realized that giving students exams or essays on their summer reading wasn’t an authentic reading experience,” said Library Media Specialist Mary Millette, who facilitates the All School Summer Reading Program. “In the real world, when you read a book, you engage in a meaningful conversation with friends or peers. We wanted to give students that same opportunity and it’s really made a difference in how students approach summer reading.”

In fact, since moving over to the book discussion format, GLTS has seen a rise in students participating in summer reading, moving from 70 percent in 2014 (prior to the All School Summer Reading Program) to 87 percent in 2017.

At the end of last year, students were given a choice of 52 different books to choose from– including graphic novels, fiction and nonfiction — to read over the summer. Members of GLTS, from teachers and guidance counselors to Superintendent Lavoie and administrators, sponsored a book and led a discussion with students during the book talk.

This year’s popular titles included “Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty” by Gregory Neri and Randy DuBurke, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie and “In the Country We Love” by Diane Guerrero.

Following the discussions, book sponsors were happy to report that students were fully engaged in the activity and made social emotional connections to the characters in their stories.

“The All School Summer Reading Program is something we’re really proud of here at GLTS,” Superintendent Lavoie said. “It’s great to see the depths of conversations students are having with their peers and that they’re able to go beyond the text to make conclusions about their life and the world around them.”

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