Summer Reading

Summer Academic Practice Rational

Students can lose as much as one to two months of learning during the downtime of summer.  All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities year-round. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al, 2004).  Though summer vacation should be a time for leisure and fun that only summer can bring, we require our students to read and engage in math practice to counter potential academic regression.

Information for Parents and Guardians

How to Raise a Reader

Scholastic Book Wizard: A Tool to Give Grade Level Books

Lexile Level

General Lexile Information

Note: If your student was enrolled at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School during the 2021/2022 school year and you would like their Lexile Score based on their Spring NWEA MAP Growth for Reading, then please click here. 

Grade Band	Age	Current Lexile Band	“Stretch” Lexile Band
K-1	5-7 Years Old	N/A	N/A
2-3	7-9 Years Old	450L – 725L	420L – 820L
4-5	9-11 Years Old	645L – 845L	740L – 1010L
6-8	11-14 Years Old	860L – 1010L	925L – 1185L
9-10	14-16 Years Old	960L – 1115L	1050L – 1335L
11-CCR	16-18 Years Old	1070L – 1120L	1185L – 1385L

IXL Login Information for Students Entering Third Grade through Eighth Grade

• Visit the IXL Login Page.
• Enter the student’s Username and Password. If your student needs their username and/or password, please click here.
• Click on “Learning” in the green bar.
• Click on “Language Arts” under the green bar.
• Choose the grade level from the left-hand vertical tabs.
• Scroll down or click on Grammar and Mechanics.
• Click on activities under designated topics listed under the student’s grade level.

Entering Pre-Kindergarten 3

• PreKinder 3 Literacy Choice Board
  • Choose one book to read each week during your summer break.  You can visit your local library or ask a parent/guardian to find a read-along on YouTube or other streaming platforms.
  • Assessment Criteria: Draw a picture of your favorite book to share on the First Day of School.

Entering Pre-Kindergarten 4

• PreKinder 4 Literacy Choice Board
  • Choose one book to read each week during your summer break.  You can visit your local library or ask a parent/guardian to find a read-along on YouTube or other streaming platforms.
  • Assessment Criteria: Draw a picture of your favorite book to share on the First Day of School.

Entering Kindergarten

• Kindergarten Reading Choice Board
  • Students will choose one reading activity each week to complete during your summer break.  Color the square once the activity is completed.
  • Assessment Criteria:
    • Turn in your Reading Choice Board with at least 8 squares colored in on the First Day of School.
    • Be ready to share with your new friends your favorite book that you read over the summer and a picture of you in your favorite place to read (i.e. outdoors, under the stars, on your bed, in your kitchen, in your backyard, etc.).

Entering First Grade

• First Grade Reading Choice Board
  • Students will choose one reading activity each week to complete during your summer break.  Color the square once the activity is completed.
  • Assessment Criteria:
    • Turn in your Reading Choice Board with at least 8 squares colored in on the First Day of School.
    • Be ready to share with your new friends your favorite book that you read over the summer and a picture of you in your favorite place to read (i.e. outdoors, under the stars, on your bed, in your kitchen, in your backyard, etc.).

Entering Second Grade

• Second Grade Reading Choice Board
  • Students will choose one reading activity each week to complete during your summer break.  Color the square once the activity is completed.
  • Assessment Criteria:
    • Turn in your Reading Choice Board with at least 8 squares colored in on the First Day of School.
    • Be ready to share with your new friends your favorite book that you read over the summer and a picture of you in your favorite place to read (i.e. outdoors, under the stars, on your bed, in your kitchen, in your backyard, etc.).

Entering Third Grade

• Third Grade Reading Choice Board
  • Students will choose any 6 activities to complete during the summer break. We recommend 1 to 2 activities each week.  A parent or guardian must initial the square when the activity is complete.
  • Assessment Criteria: Turn in your Reading Choice Board with at least 6 squares initialed by a parent or guardian on the First Day of School.

Entering Fourth Grade

• Intermediate Reading Choice Board
  • Students will choose any 5 activities to complete during the summer break. We recommend 1 to 2 activities each week.  A parent or guardian must initial the square when the activity is complete.
  • Assessment Criteria: Turn in your Reading Choice Board with at least 5 squares initialed by a parent or guardian on the First Day of School.
• IXL Language Arts, Grammar, and Mechanics – Students are asked to select Third Grade for Reinforcement Skills and Close Instructional Gaps
  • Suggested Time is 40 Minutes Per Week
  • Topics: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives and Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Contractions, Commas, and Capitalization
  • Assessment Criteria: Completion and Smart Score

Entering Fifth Grade

• Intermediate Reading Choice Board
  • Students will choose any 5 activities to complete during the summer break. We recommend 1 to 2 activities each week.  A parent or guardian must initial the square when the activity is complete.
  • Assessment Criteria: Turn in your Reading Choice Board with at least 5 squares initialed by a parent or guardian on the First Day of School.
• IXL Language Arts, Grammar, and Mechanics – Students are asked to select Fourth Grade for Reinforcement Skills and Close Instructional Gaps
  • Suggested Time is 50 Minutes Per Week
  • Topics: Sentence, Fragments, and Run-Ons, Nouns, Pronouns, Verb Types, Subject-Verb Agreement, Articles, Adjectives and Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Commas, and Capitalization
  • Assessment Criteria: Completion and Smart Score

Entering Sixth Grade

• Literature
  • Sixth Grade Literature: Read 2 Books of Parent-Approved Choices that are At or Above Grade Level. We encourage you to use Scholastic Book Wizard or Lexile Level to select book selections. Students will complete a writing assignment and presentation during the First Week of School based on their reading selections.
  • Sixth Grade Literature Honors: Read 2 Books of Parent-Approved Choice. One should be from The Cardinal Newman Society Reading List and the second should be a free choice book.  Both selections should be At or Above Grade Level. We encourage you to use Scholastic Book Wizard or Lexile Level to select free choice book selections. Students will complete a writing assignment and presentation during the First Week of School based on their reading selections.
• IXL Language Arts, Grammar, and Mechanics – Students are asked to select Fifth Grade for Reinforcement Skills and Close Instructional Gaps
  • Suggested Time is 50 Minutes Per Week
  • Topics: Sentence, Summarizing, Sentence Variety, Research Skills, Greek and Latin Roots, Homophones, Idioms, Shades of Meaning Sentences/Fragments/Run-Ons/Subject-Verb Agreement, Verb Tense, Commas, and Capitalization
  • Assessment Criteria: Completion and Smart Score

Entering Seventh Grade

• Literature
  • Seventh Grade Literature: Read 2 Books of Parent-Approved Choices that are At or Above Grade Level. We encourage you to use Scholastic Book Wizard or Lexile Level to select book selections. Students will complete a writing assignment and presentation during the First Week of School based on their reading selections.
  • Seventh Grade Literature Honors: Read 2 Books of Parent-Approved Choice. One should be from The Cardinal Newman Society Reading List and the second should be a free choice book.  Both selections should be At or Above Grade Level. We encourage you to use Scholastic Book Wizard or Lexile Level to select free choice book selections. Students will complete a writing assignment and presentation during the First Week of School based on their reading selections.
• IXL Language Arts, Grammar, and Mechanics – Students are asked to select Sixth Grade for Reinforcement Skills and Close Instructional Gaps
  • Suggested Time is 50 Minutes Per Week
  • Topics: Greek and Latin Roots, Homophones, Subject-Verb Agreement, Verb Tense, Conjunctions, and Contractions
  • Assessment Criteria: Completion and Smart Score

Entering Eighth Grade

• Literature
  • Eighth Grade Literature: Read 2 Books of Parent-Approved Choices that are At or Above Grade Level. We encourage you to use Scholastic Book Wizard or Lexile Level to select book selections. Students will complete a writing assignment and presentation during the First Week of School based on their reading selections.
  • Eighth Grade Literature Honors: Read 2 Books of Parent-Approved Choice. One should be from The Cardinal Newman Society Reading List and the second should be a free choice book.  Both selections should be At or Above Grade Level. We encourage you to use Scholastic Book Wizard or Lexile Level to select free choice book selections. Students will complete a writing assignment and presentation during the First Week of School based on their reading selections.
• IXL Language Arts, Grammar, and Mechanics – Students are asked to select Seventh Grade for Reinforcement Skills and Close Instructional Gaps
  • Suggested Time is 50 Minutes Per Week
  • Topics: Greek and Latin Roots, Synonyms and Antonyms, Homophones, Domain-Specific Vocabulary, Verb Types, Subject-Verb Agreement, Verb Tense, Misplaced Modifiers, Semicolons, Colons, and Commas
  • Assessment Criteria: Completion and Smart Score