ADVANCED PLACEMENT SUMMER LITERACY PROGRAM 

School District 5 of Lexington and Richland Counties 

WHY IS SUMMER LITERACY IMPORTANT? 

“Research tells us that children and teens who don’t read and write outside of school, especially  during long breaks such as summer vacation, face a big loss in their literacy growth compared to  those who do continue learning all year long. This means the summer months and other breaks  from school offer wonderful opportunities for families, caregivers, and out-of-school educators to  help improve reading and writing.”

~National Council of Teachers of English  http://www.readwritethink.org/files/callouts/year-long-flyer_2.pdf

WHAT CAN FAMILIES DO TO HELP? 

The English language arts teachers of Lexington/Richland School District #5 want to ensure that  all of our students reach their maximum potential in life. Literacy plays a large part in each  student’s ability to find this success; therefore, in an effort to prevent any loss in literacy growth  during the summer break, we strongly encourage families to continue learning into the summer  months by reading and writing together. While such learning is encouraged, it is not required at  any level other than Advanced Placement courses, and as such, no specific titles or assignments  will be given to your child during summer break. Although there will be nothing due upon the return to school in August for Advanced Placement students, and while Advanced Placement students will not be formally assessed on their selected summer titles, it might be beneficial to students to draw upon summer reading during timed writings, class discussion, and literary criticism throughout the first semester.

WHAT BOOKS SHOULD WE READ? 

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards 

The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers 

For information about Lexile (reading) levels, please visit Lexile Framework for Reading 

There are many other such lists you can review. Also, consider checking with your local public  library. Please be cautious about choosing books that are thematically appropriate for your  child. While the English language arts teachers of Lexington/Richland School District #5 are  avid readers, we have not read all of the titles on these lists, nor would we advocate all titles for  all children. Reviews of most books can be found on websites such as www.booksamillion.com,  www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.amazon.com. 

AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION: Thank You For Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln,  and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion by Jay Heinrichs will be

discussed and assessed as part of the AP Language curriculum during the first interim;  therefore, while this title is not required as part of your summer reading, we strongly encourage  you to consider reading this title, or refreshing your memory of the details if you have already  read this title, in preparation for your AP Language experience. Beyond this title, we encourage  you to choose titles that will stretch your mind as a reader. This course will focus heavily on your  ability to understand the arguments of others, as well as create arguments of your own, using  established rhetorical techniques. Therefore, nonfiction pieces that are persuasive in nature are  recommended. We also ask that you extend your experience to include documentaries, local  and national news stations, and political cartoons. Rhetoric and persuasion are not limited to the  written word only, and there will be opportunities during the year to practice analyzing non-print  sources.  

Please choose one selection from classic themes, one selection from contemporary  themes, and one selection from the film category for AP Language and Composition.