Why Do Summer Reading? + 4 Ways to Make It More Doable for Your Family

Summer is often a busy season filled with commitments, travel, and activities… So why do summer reading? Why should you add one more thing to your plate during this time that is supposed to be a season of “rest” but often feels like anything but?

When families do summer reading, they are investing in the future success of their kids, as well as optimizing their own brain skills. 

What the Research Says About Why You Should Do Summer Reading

Research continues to show that reading is one of the best ways to gain knowledge, keep your brain active, and experience academic success. The “summer slide” contributes to a lot of frustration and feelings of falling behind as the school year restarts in the fall. Reading over the summer lessens this loss of progress so your child feels more confident and successful from day 1!

Especially if your child struggles with reading, it is even more important to keep the momentum going even after school ends. 

According to a 3-year study conducted by Dominican University, kids who participate in summer reading programs scored higher on beginning-of-year reading achievement tests. These students also experienced greater reading achievement all year long than kids who did not do summer reading.

Why Struggling Readers Should Do Summer Reading

Especially if your child struggles with reading, this extra momentum and practice is invaluable to helping them gain some ground. Reading struggles don’t just go away with time; instead, they require targeted approaches to helping kids become more successful.

If you have a child who struggles with reading, any “pleasure” reading may feel more like a fight. But the fact is these are the kids who need it the most!

Reframing Your Summer Reading Goals

Whatever level your child is at in reading, there is value to simply learning that reading can be fun and enjoyable. Instead of pushing and pushing your child to read books that are “hard” or “boring” (in their words), here are some ways to reframe your summer reading goals:

• Practice more than you push. Now is not the time to try to read books that are hard or complicated for your kids. Even if it means going “back” a reading level, helping them learn to enjoy reading and practice their skills is valuable!

• Pick strategic books. Is your child really into horses or battleships or some other niche topic? Head to your local library and find some books that will pique their interest! This is also a great time to just let your child read funny books that will keep them laughing and interested. Again, the goal here should be enjoyment, not stress or pressure.

• Make it a family affair. The benefits of reading don’t go away when you are an adult! You can still grow your knowledge bank and exercise your brain with reading. Instead of it being a forced activity for your child, do it together. Have your own set of goals for your summer reading plan so you can work towards them together!

• Watch your child and learn. Are you noticing patterns of struggle in your child? Whether it’s with motivation, decoding words, comprehension, or some other aspect, summer reading is a great time to really take a pulse on your child’s skills. You can experience firsthand the ways they struggle and succeed so you can know what to expect going into the next school year.

Click here for 6 summer learning red flags to watch for in your kids >>

Do You Have Concerns When You Do Summer Reading?

As the summer wraps up, you may begin to notice patterns in your kids where they are struggling. 

These issues are likely not going to be “fixed” by a new school year. 

Instead of leaving them to just push through and have reading continue to be a fight, you can take steps to helping them become more confident and successful. Brain training is a root cause approach to reading struggles that addresses WHY they have so much trouble with focus, comprehension, fluency, or decoding new words.

If your child is struggling, knowing why is the first step to helping them become more successful!

You can go into the new school year with a plan in place to help them succeed. Give us a call today to learn more!