[Permit]

> Is year round schooling really the best way to close the literacy gap?

What's the alternative in your mind? Personally, it makes complete sense to me to have year-round schooling. Especially considering the effects its been shown to have on math and reading performance.

What's so bad about extra schooling?

Edit: Also, perhaps it was different for you as a child, but most children are not intrinsically motivated to participate in school as it stands. As a kid I was far more interested in playing Age of Empires or playing outside, so the argument that extrinsic motivation doesn't work seems weak to me.

[DanBC]

It's a great idea.

Other things that help are giving books to families and encouraging parents, especially male father-figures, to read to children.

That might need some adult eduction, because adult illiteracy is a bit of a problem.

In the UK we have a charity called BooksTrust. Unfortunately it seems to have wider reach among middle class families (who have enough money to buy books, and who read to their children) than among poor parents. They have quite modest funding (£13m per year)

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8218115/C...)

[alanctgardner2]

I don't have a better source, but Freakonomics had a whole chapter dedicated to the fact that having books impacts learning outcomes much less than having money. While giving kids books and encouraging reading at home seemed like a logical solution, it seems like after school programs, summer camps, etc. are a better predictor for success