FEATURES
Summer reading is an institution rarely questioned but often complained about by the student body. The head of the English department, Dr. Clint Crumley, holds all the answers to student questions on the subject.
The summer reading program was incorporated into Providence Day in the fall of 2005. Ever since, the English department has offered a variety of titles to each grade in the hopes that students will read at least one book over the summers between school years and thereafter.
When asked why this institution is in place, Dr. Crumley responded with, "This is common practice in legitimate college prep schools." Though not an answer founded in educational science or theory, he is very right, and the benefits of reading are well documented. A recent 2007 study carried out at Johns Hopkins suggests that students who do not academically engage themselves over the summer suffer from reading loss. In the same study, researchers found that students who read over the summer learned more quickly and do better in class.
Dr. Crumley iterated throughout the interview that the main purpose of the practice is to "send a message that reading books that are well known, vetted, and supported by an English department holds great value in the pursuit of the thinking mind." Dr. Crumley also wished to emphasize that the English department does not want all students to read the same title as the school benefits from diversity in ideas. “We mix it up every year. If I heard a student talking about a title they really enjoyed, I would bring it up at the next meeting.”
Overall the Providence Day summer reading program seems very progressive as there is not a single ideology impressed per class. Students are encouraged to bring forward titles that they believe would enrich their colleagues, and this allows for more than a traditional learning experience. With examples of writing from many eras for each grade and a variety of genres as well, there is much mobility within the assignment allowing students to learn what they wish.
Is Summer Reading For The Children?
By Gray Marler
Though summer reading is often considered a chore, Dr. Crumley presents the program in a way that makes it seem like one of the most educational traditions at
Providence Day.
"The main purpose of the practice is to 'send a message that reading books that are well known, vetted, and supported by an English department holds great value in the pursuit of the thinking mind." – Clint Crumley
Dr. Clint Crumley standing outside of his office in the West Wing.
Photo by Gray Marler