10 Tips to Make Summer Reading More Fun
The concept of the “Summer Slide”—the loss of knowledge and academic skills over the long break from school—isn’t new. As far back as 1996, a comprehensive study about the phenomenon reported that kids lose significant gains in reading and math over the summer break. Worse still, those numbers are growing. Just check out these statistics about reading and the summer “brain drain”:
- Children in low-income households suffer most, falling behind an average of 2 months in reading during the summer.
- Reading just 4 to 6 books over the summer has the potential to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from spring to fall.
- Summer learning loss accounts for 2/3 of the 9th-grade achievement gap in reading between students from low-income households and their higher income peers.
Summer Reading Tips:
#1: Increase access to a variety of books.
A lack of access to books is one of the leading causes for reading declines over the summer. In addition to checking out books from the library, parents can turn to the numerous online sites that provide free online books for kids. For example, the award-winning nonprofit children’s literacy website Storyline Online offers free access to books with accompanying activity guides, featuring celebrity actors reading aloud.
Another option is to find your nearby Little Free Library stands. The nonprofit works to expand book access through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes. You can search the website for stands near you to take or share books, including banned books in many areas. No stands near you? Consider hosting a book swap with other like-minded families in your neighborhood.
#2: Join a book club.
Book clubs are a great way to increase reading, make friends, and learn about new books. Many libraries and bookstores now offer book clubs for all ages, as well as some family programs. If you have a reluctant reader, ensure that the reading level is appropriate for your child’s current skill levels by checking the Lexile measure first.
#3: Mix up reading locations.
Take advantage of summer and look for opportunities to read outdoors. Set up a picnic in the shade of a tree, head to the beach with a sturdy umbrella, or lounge by the community pool with a favorite page-turner. You may also want to consider setting up a reading nook in your home for those rainy days when your family members just want to cuddle up on a stack of pillows with a cup of warm tea and a book.
#4: Designate a family reading hour.
Children who see adults in their lives reading tend to read more themselves. Consider designating an hour a day (or a few times a week) as tech-free time. Whether you’re reading together, alone, or side by side with your own material, prioritizing literacy is a good habit to carry into adulthood.
#5: Join a writer’s group or writing workshop.
Got a creative kid or teen who isn’t necessarily what you’d call a “book lover”? Consider signing them up for a creative writing class (online or in person) or finding a writer’s group. Sometimes all it takes is the right entry into storytelling to get kids more excited about reading. Check your local library, recreation center, or school summer programs or consider starting your own group. There are plenty of story starters and creative exercises online to keep the ideas coming.
#6: Lean into audiobooks.
Although ideally you don’t want audiobooks to take the place of actual reading, audiobooks can be a great way to keep your child or teen engaged while improving their comprehension skills. Unlike reading in a moving vehicle, audiobooks don’t cause motion sickness and they can serve as a great alternative to scrolling social media for long car drives this summer.
#7: Get a few magazine subscriptions.
Books aren’t the only format that encourages reading. Even comics, graphic novels, ebooks, and word puzzles can keep kids engaged. If your child has a specific interest (e.g., animals, soccer, dinosaurs, the supernatural), give them something to look forward to with a magazine subscription on the topic.
#8: Consider joining a reading rewards program.
Some of us remember the Pizza Hut “Book It!” reading-incentive program that launched in 1984. Offering a free personal pizza to student who met their monthly reading goals, this free program is now celebrating 40 years! A quick Google search will give you several other national incentivized summer reading programs, or you can create your own milestone goals and prizes based on your student’s interests and motivators.
#9: Read a book then watch the movie together.
Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables, the Cat in the Hat, Charlotte’s Web. There are so many choices now when it comes to finding age-appropriate books to read together before comparing it to the movie. Just be sure to read the book first, as it will allow your child to use their imagination and develop a variety of important skills related to reading, such as visual processing and sound blending.
#10: Make books special gifts.
Everyone loves to get gifts, so why not surprise your student with a new book to unwrap each time they finish with their current selection? No need to limit book-giving to summer. Take a cue from other cultures and give books to close friends and loved ones on holidays, birthdays, and other days of celebration to embrace the feeling that literacy is to be treasured.
Use these ideas to help make reading for leisure an important part of your family members’ lives. The earlier you help your child develop a love for books, the more likely they’ll retain (and develop!) their reading skills over the summer.
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