Preventing the Summer Reading Slide
Susan Hegarty, Reading Specialist & Glen S. McKay,
Principal
Summer
vacation, with its days free from the routines of the typical school week, is
rapidly approaching. However, educators nation-wide worry that along with
relaxing summer days, students will lose the reading gains that they acquired
during the preceding school year if they do not continue to consistently engage
in literacy activities over the summer. Numerous research studies indicate that
an achievement gap in reading develops and widens during the summer
months. According to the “Reading is
Fundamental” (RIF) website “experts agree that children who read during the
summer gain reading skills, while those who do not, often slide backward.” “Launching Summer Reading” by Donalyn Miller
of Scholastic, Inc. wrote in 2016 that “reading research indicates that many
children’s reading ability declines between the end of one school year and the
beginning of the next because they generally do not read much over the summer.
But, by reading just four or five books over the summer break, students can
keep up the good work they’ve strived to achieve all year.” A general consensus
amongst numerous research studies supports the fact that struggling readers
lose more ground over the summer than proficient readers if they do not engage in
summer reading, and those losses can create a wider gap between proficient readers
and struggling readers. By the time these readers reach middle school, summer
reading loss can accumulate to a two year lag in reading achievement!
Considering
the research that supports that reading is the cornerstone of learning, one
might ask, “What can caregivers and parents do to minimize the summer reading
slide?” First and foremost, develop
summer reading habits at the beginning of the summer with a daily reading
routine. Set a timer for twenty to
thirty minutes and designate that as reading time with no external distractions
going on in the background. Immerse your entire family in activities that
involve literacy activities so that children can view the adults in their lives
as “reading and writing role models” firsthand. Encourage your children to keep
a writing journal to fill with writing about their summer experiences to the
beach, or a neighborhood bike ride, or a family day trip. Providing a print rich environment, being a
reading role model for your children, and promoting a love of reading will
lessen the “summer reading slide”, as well as ease the transition back to
school in the fall.
Fortunately,
there is a wealth of free resources out there to assist caregivers and parents
with nurturing and supporting literacy activities over the summer months. Here
are just a few of the many ways parents can promote rewarding reading habits
this upcoming summer.
* Enroll your children in your
town’s free summer reading program. This
year the North Reading Flint Memorial Library’s free summer reading program is
centered around the theme “Build A Better World”. This theme kicks-off on June 26th
and continues until August 18th.
Check out the library’s website to discover the reading incentive
programs they are offering for various grade levels as well as the enrichment
programs they have scheduled over the summer. One popular reading incentive
that is being offered again is a free entrance pass to the 2017 Topsfield Fair
with a hot dog, drink, and two game tickets for children who read the required
number of minutes between June 26th and August 18th.
* Enroll
your child in the Red Sox Summer Reading Game sponsored by the Massachusetts
Teacher’s Association to promote literacy.
Kindergarten through grade 8 Massachusetts
children who pledge to read nine books and then submit their pledge cards, will
be entered into a drawing to win a family pack of 4 tickets to a Red Sox game
at Fenway Park .
(Pledge cards will soon be distributed to all North
Reading elementary school children.)
* Another
freebie to take advantage of is to sign your children up for Barnes & Noble
Summer Reading Program where they can read their way to a free book. By going
online to BN.COM/summerreading or by visiting your closest Barnes & Noble
bookstore, parents can sign their children up for this free reading incentive.
* A “20 for
20 Family Reading Challenge” is being offered by Scholastic, Inc. This free online and mobile reading program
helps children discover the power and joy of reading during the summer. Explore Scholastic’s website for a wealth of
free family resources and activities that promote reading and writing.
* Visit the National Summer
Learning Association website for “Easy Summer Learning Tips for Parents”. www.SummerLearning.org
* The popular website, “Pinterest”,
has an amazing collection of literacy ideas for families and children of all
ages that is bound to keep families immersed in literacy all summer long!
*Start a book club with your
children and their friends and parents.
Forming a book club is a fun, social way to encourage summer reading
with follow-up conversations and activites for parents and children alike.
* Create
book baskets for the whole family and have them readily available around the
house or ready to travel. Make it fun
and include newspapers, comic books, children’s magazines, cookbooks, and
crossword puzzles.
Remember,
your primary goal is to motivate your children to read throughout the summer to
prevent the summer reading slide. Engaging
your entire family in reading activities throughout the summer is bound to promote
a lifelong love of reading!