Summer Reading Tips
I have always loved to read. Even as a kid I was never pushed to read. Give me a good book any day and I’ll get sucked right into it. Reading has many benefits that can especially help with brain development. The United States Department of Education found that children who choose to read on their own time are more likely to score higher on reading scores than those who don’t (from the National Education Association). The Department had polled 12th-grade students in the 1990s and found out that the number of students who said that they “never” read or “hardly ever read” rose from 9 to 16 percent (National Education Association). Most kids have a hard time getting excited about reading: when it’s assigned to them, it feels like a chore, and when it’s on their own time, it seems boring.
“Incentives”
Fortunately, there are always so many ways to help your child get excited about reading over the summer. Many organizations and companies have summer reading programs. For example, T.D. Bank will give $10 to kids in grades K-5th who have read 10 books over the summer months. The kids just have to track their reading on a sheet and hand it into their nearest bank (you can find the information here). The organization We Are Teachers posted a list of 10 programs that they love on their blog. It includes programs from companies like Barnes and Noble, Scholastic, and Chuck E. Cheese.
Ideas
We Are Teachers also suggests checking out your local public library. Public libraries will always have summer reading activities for kids of all ages. For example, the Princeton Public Library offers a program for kids ages K-5th, while the Woodbridge Public Library offers an escape room type activity for teenagers. The libraries have great programs that will not only get your kids reading, but will have them getting involved with their community as well.
If your child is struggling to find something to read, Read Brightly has created their own list of what they think were the best children’s and YA books of 2018. Surely, your kid will find something to read on this list.
Activites
If you want to plan out an entire summer’s worth of reading, Reading Rockets has a list of activities and adventures that you can do with your kid over the 10 weeks of summer. These activities are more educational and help maintain reading skills over the summer months. One activity involves writing out favorite flavors of ice cream and listing them in alphabetical order. These are great activities for younger kids who are just developing their reading skills.
Summer reading doesn’t have to be hard. There are so many helpful and amazing ways to get your kids’ minds active, and still make sure that their season off is one to remember.
