Potomac families have until Monday, Aug. 24, to help their children maintain a second language using free district resources through Montgomery County Public Libraries before the first day of school.

Montgomery County Public Schools, under Superintendent Thomas Taylor, published its "Booked for the Summer" biliteracy guide on Thursday, directing students to books, videos and digital resources in 10 languages available through the library system. The guide itself can be downloaded in eight languages: English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Amharic, Korean and Portuguese.

The guide is free.

The initiative is tied to the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy, a diploma endorsement authorized by state law that recognizes graduates proficient in English and at least one other language. MCPS graduates have earned the seal in more than 50 languages, according to the district.

What students do

A companion activity document breaks the work into grade bands: elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade and secondary students at Levels 1 through 6, including AP and IB. The district asks students to complete one language activity each week of the summer.

To earn the seal, students must pass an approved English Language Arts assessment and demonstrate "Intermediate High" proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in a second language on an ACTFL-aligned test, according to the MCPS course catalog.

Churchill and Wootton clusters

The biliteracy push has particular relevance in Potomac. Potomac Elementary School offers a partial Chinese immersion program that continues at Herbert Hoover Middle School, both feeding into Winston Churchill High School. Cold Spring Elementary serves families in both the Churchill and Wootton clusters.

How to access the resources

Families can download the digital guide from the MCPS website in any of the eight available languages. The Montgomery County Public Libraries' collection includes materials in 10 languages. Classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 25.