Summer Reading
It can be easy for students to lose the habit of reading when school is out for the summer. Other things become a priority, but that does not mean they should stop learning! There are many ways students can partake in summer learning experiences to prevent losing essential learning skills students need for the following school years. Summer reading is a great activity students can do in the comfort of their own homes.
Benefits of Summer Reading
Prevent 'Summer Slide': Summer Slide is a concept where students lose, on average, two months of grade-level math and reading skills over the summer. This is most common for students who come from low-income families and do not have access to books, and younger children because they are at a crucial stage in their reading development.
Increase Student Achievement: Research conducted by Scholastic Research & Validation stated that families having access to books during the summer resulted in students maintaining or increasing literacy skills. This may look different for low-income families, but families who do have access to books gain higher reading goals than high-income families with access to books.
Boost Reading Skills: Exposing children to any type of reading material, whether in the classroom or during the summer, increases their reading skills, such as reading comprehension and vocabulary. These enhanced skills will greatly benefit the child's reading proficiency.
Helps Students Fall In Love With Reading: When students are given the opportunity to choose their own books during the summer, it makes them enjoy summer reading because they have the power to choose. In the Kids & Family Reading Report by Scholastics, 70% of children from ages 6-17 enjoy reading over the summer because they get to read what they want, whenever they want, 52% like it because they want to keep their brains active, and 53% view reading as an enjoyable way to spend their summer.
How to Implement Summer Reading
There are many ways children can continue their learning after the school year has ended. It is important to implement as many learning opportunities for children to read during the summer to impede learning loss and maintain academic success. How can you implement summer reading in your home? We curated a list of 5 ways that you can encourage your child to read during the summer.
Read for 20 minutes per day: It may be difficult to read 20 minutes each day with your child, but there are plenty of benefits children gain from reading regularly for a short amount of time.
Visit your local library: Through Aurora Public Libraries, Pikes Peak Libraries, and High Plains Libraries you are able to register for a free library card in-person or online. With a library card, you are able to participate in various summer reading programs your local libraries offer, rent e-books, and have access to other youth services. If you'd like to learn more about how to register for a library card online, visit the Aurora Public Libraries site, the Pikes Peak Library District site, or the High Plains Library District site.
Note: In a study conducted by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University showed that students who participated in public library summer reading programs scored high on reading achievement tests than their peers who did not!
Audiobooks: If you are in a rush, or do not have access to physical copies of books, there are many audiobooks available to you for free online. Websites, such as Hoopla and Libby allow you access to children's books from various genres. If you can't access a library card, Netflix Jr. and KidTimeStoryTime on YouTube have fun and engaging read-alouds.
Model reading behavior: When youth see adults model appropriate reading behavior, like keeping reading materials close by or asking questions about a book out loud, it encourages the youth to do the same as well.
Read aloud...together!: This can be done anywhere, anytime. Whether you are at waiting at the doctor's office or sitting on your front porch, grab a book or listen to an ebook and enjoy!
