BLAST Elementary

Summer Programs

During the four week summer Pittsburgh Public School Extended Year program, BLAST visits participating schools once a week.

The goals of the summer BLAST program is are:

• Extend the children’s literacy experience beyond the school year.
• Motivate children to be life long learners and readers.
• Encourage children to visit their local public library.

The BLAST program presents read alouds that are:

• High-quality.
• Multicultural.
• Both fiction and informational.
• Related to the library’s Summer Reading Club theme.

Other program components are:

• Rich vocabulary discussion.
• Critical thinking questions.
• A book exchange.
• Summer Reading Club registration.

Research on the Importance of Summer Reading Programs

School Library Journal (November 1, 2010)
"Proof Positive: A new study shows that summer reading programs boost student achievement and combat learning loss"