A Quasi-Experimental Study of the Impacts of the Kids Read Now Summer Reading Program

Drawing on administrative data and reading achievement data provided by two Midwestern school districts for three schools, we analyze the literacy impacts of a replicable summer reading program, Kids Read Now. The program includes both school-based and home-based components that together encourage students to remain engaged in reading high-quality books over the summer months. We apply propensity score matching methods to match participating Kids Read Now students with similar comparison students. Our results suggest that Kids Read Now participants outperformed comparison group students, with a mean effect size of d = .12. Additional model estimates of the impacts for those students who read more of the books provided by Kids Read Now revealed that those who received all 9 books realized an effect size of d = .18 relative to the outcomes for matched comparison students. We discuss how these results might be considered in light of prior findings on summer learning.