Last summer, our school set out to design a literacy experience for our most-struggling readers—students entering ninth grade who had not yet achieved foundational reading proficiency. Many of these students had missed out on explicit phonics instruction during the balanced literacy years and had their learning further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We launched the Kingston City Schools Summer Reading Academy, an ambitious, collaborative effort to give students the tools and time they needed to catch up. What happened over the following four weeks far exceeded our expectations. The Literacy Academy was grounded in a powerful school–university partnership. Kingston teachers, trained in the Science of Reading through SUNY New Paltz’s microcredential, worked alongside SUNY New Paltz literacy students to deliver targeted reading instruction. This collaboration strengthened secondary reading outcomes and showed what’s possible when schools and universities join forces.
Why We Can’t Just Push Struggling Readers Along
Far too often, older students who struggle with reading are quietly passed along, their deficits masked by coping strategies or overlooked due to pressures to pass classes and meet high school graduation requirements. But without direct intervention, these gaps widen. As students move up through the grades, the texts become more complex, and the demands on their reading skills increase. The cost of inaction is high: disengagement, low confidence, and limited access to academic and career opportunities.
The Role of Reading Instruction on the School-to-Prison Pipeline
There is a well-documented link between illiteracy and incarceration. Students who cannot read proficiently by the third grade are significantly more likely to drop out of school and far more likely to go to prison. When schools fail to provide effective, evidence-based reading instruction, particularly to those most at risk, they can perpetuate cycles of poverty, marginalization, and incarceration. The work of programs like ours helps disrupt that pipeline by ensuring students are not left behind simply because they were never taught how to read.
Rethinking Summer School
Summer school is often viewed through a punitive lens, a consequence for students who failed during the year, or worse, a threat when students misbehave. But what if we reimagined it entirely? Instead of being a last resort, summer can be a critical window of opportunity. One to two months of additional instruction can make a tremendous difference for students who need more time and targeted support to master essential skills.
By reframing summer learning as a proactive, enriching, and personalized experience, we give students not just more time, but better time, time to close gaps, build confidence, and experience academic success. Our program demonstrates that summer school can be a catalyst for transformation, not a punishment for past performance.
Identifying Student Needs
We selected students using multiple measures, including i-Ready assessments, oral reading fluency scores, and spelling inventories. The data indicated that many students were reading at least three grade levels below proficiency and needed focused support in foundational reading skills.
What Worked: Targeted Instruction with Real Results
Students received structured, evidence-based instruction tailored to meet them where they were and move them forward.
- Explicit Phonics Instruction: Using Phonics for Reading, students engaged in systematic, targeted instruction that focused on decoding and fluency.
- Direct Writing Instruction: Students received explicit instruction on sentence-level writing routines to gain control of language and build confidence in expressing their thoughts.
- Engaging, Grade-Level Texts: With texts like Sandra Cisneros’s “Only Daughter” and Kobe Bryant’s “Dear Basketball,” students connected emotionally and intellectually, improving their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Measuring Progress: More Than Just Numbers
Research suggests that typical eighth grade students grow in fluency at a rate of approximately .65 words correct per minute (WCPM) each week. With a stretch goal of one WCPM per week, students in our summer academy far exceeded expectations, averaging 3.5 WCPM weekly and 15 WCPM overall.
In addition to fluency gains, many students showed marked improvement in reading comprehension, as evidenced by their performance on a MAZE assessment, and they were enthusiastic about the program.
The Impact of Explicit, Systematic Instruction
Many of the students who joined the Kingston City School District Summer Reading Academy entered high school still struggling with foundational reading and writing skills. These students were in elementary school during the height of balanced literacy, a time when explicit and systematic phonics instruction was often absent.
Their early years were further disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which compounded learning gaps and limited consistent access to high-quality instruction. The effects are especially pronounced among older students who are now in middle and high school, making intervention efforts all the more critical.
Some students were casually labeled as “probably dyslexic” due to the severity of their reading struggles. But what we witnessed this summer tells a different story. Within just a month, students made measurable progress—both in fluency and comprehension. The gains we observed suggest that these students were not necessarily dyslexic, but rather instructional casualties: students who were never explicitly taught to read using research-aligned methods.
Our use of curriculum-based measures helped students track their own growth in real time. After just a few weeks, students could see their fluency scores rising, proof that their hard work was paying off. The effect on morale was immediate: big smiles, bursts of pride, and a renewed belief that they could learn to read.
These students know they struggle. Many may have internalized the belief that reading simply wasn’t something they could ever do well. But this summer, they gained more than just improved skills; they gained hope. They learned that they can learn to read. And that realization might be the most powerful outcome of all.
Subscribe to Our Blog
For more guidance on literacy instruction, check out Magnetic Literacy. To learn more, visit Science of Reading Fundamentals Microcredential | SUNY New Paltz.
Other resources for you:
Strategies for Struggling Readers: Re-engaging to Build Confidence and Motivation
Leveraging Teacher Emotions for Student Success
Where Do We Go from Here? Unpacking the NAEP Reading Scores
From Assessment to Intervention—Insights from a Reading Specialist
