The Pacific Literacy Consortium (PLC), an extramurally funded program within the College of Education, Curriculum Research & Development Group, has collaborated with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE), Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support, School Library Services (SLS) to help close the reading achievement gap by increasing the reach of HIDOE’s Shared e-Book Collection. As a result of this effort, approximately 5,000 children in 11 public elementary schools were given 24-hour daily access to over 4,000 electronic books of varying genres from which they can self-select, borrow, and read on demand virtually anywhere they choose on any internet accessible device. “This opportunity is even more critical during the approaching summer months when children’s reading activity typically declines. This phenomenon is often referred to as the summer reading setback,” said Dr. Hugh Dunn, PLC’s principal investigator and program director.
PLC’s mission is to improve children’s literacy outcomes and life opportunities. Through federal grants, PLC provides these 11 schools on four islands with ongoing professional development, job-embedded coaching, curriculum enhancement, and student-level assessment. Providing children and their families with free access to the Shared e-book Collection, comprising over $90,000 worth of interactive, age-appropriate e-books and audio books, will help further PLC’s mission toward closing the reading achievement gap between children from more and less economically advantaged families. E-books in the collection are searchable by Lexile measure, title, and interest level. Kapiolani Elementary School librarian, Jo Ann Ishida said, “The Shared e-Book Collection gives children continuous access to e-books, and we are encouraging our students to read throughout the summer.”
PLC serves 11 schools that are among those across the state with the highest percentages of economically-disadvantaged children. Research has established the contribution of summer reading setback to the reading achievement gap. Dunn said, “We want to ensure that any gains in reading achievement during the school year don’t decline during the summer. Summer setback has an enduring negative effect on student performance, particularly for economically-disadvantaged children. Access to books will help to level the playing field.”