5 Tips to Keep Your Child Reading Over the Summer

byConnections Academy

6 min to read
A young student in a purple shirt is reading books during the summer image

The last day of school is always full of excitement and anticipation as kids of all ages look forward to starting their long summer vacations. While parents also look forward to a summer full of family fun, many are concerned about the dreaded “summer slide,” which refers to the learning loss that happens over summer vacation.

Studies show that, on average, students lose 17–34% of the prior year’s learning gains in math and reading during the long summer break. A survey of teachers found that 66% of them spend the first 3–4 weeks of the new school year reteaching the previous year’s skills, with 24% reporting it takes 5–6 weeks to fully reteach those skills.

Summer learning loss also has a snowball effect. By the time an elementary school child reaches middle school, they’ve lost the equivalent of two years of learning due to summer slide and the reteaching of skills.

Combat Summer Learning Loss with Summer Reading

While the summer learning loss statistics are stark, kids also need the mental break that comes with carefree summer days, especially now. Recent events, including the pandemic, have left many students struggling with mental health issues. Data from the CDC show that in 2021, 44% of teens reported feelings of sadness and hopelessness, and 9.2% of kids in America ages 3–17 suffer from anxiety.

While there are several fantastic summer school programs to support summer learning, kids don’t have to spend all of their summer days studying to combat summer learning loss. Studies found that students who spend just 2–3 hours per week engaged in educational activities, including summer reading, during the summer prevented summer slide. Reading just 4–6 books over the summer prevented a decline in reading achievement scores from the spring to the fall.

If you needed any more incentive to encourage reading during the summer, reading can also improve your child’s mental health, reducing depression, giving them a safe way to explore their emotions, and alleviating stress.

However, with the siren call of other summertime activities, parents may not know how to motivate their child to spend time reading over the summer.

A child reading during the summer.

How to Get Your Student Excited About Reading

To help avoid summer learning loss and get your student excited to read over the summer, here are five summer reading tips that will fit into your busy summer schedule.

1. Join the Local Library Summer Reading Program

Your local library is one of the best places to go to encourage your student to read over the summer. Most libraries across the country offer free summer reading programs. If your child has a competitive side, these programs are great because they typically offer badges or points based on the number of books and associated activities that are completed throughout the program. Students will want to keep reading during the summer to earn more points! Plus, libraries often have suggested reading lists by grade level that include a wide variety of books to appeal to different kids. Libraries are accessible, offer friendly summer hours, and they are free to everyone. With most programs, you can easily sign up online to start your child’s summer reading program.

3. Schedule Daily Reading Time

Kids thrive when they have a daily routine—even over the summer. Scheduling just 20 minutes of reading each day into your child’s daily routine adds up to over 2 hours each week—enough to keep the summer slide at bay. Pick a time that will be easy to maintain, like first thing in the morning before breakfast or right before bedtime. Reading helps calm the mind, which makes it easier for children and teens to fall asleep.

3. Read Aloud to Them

There are some kids that just resist reading and motivating them to read over the summer can be a challenge. If this is your student, a great way to help spark their interest in reading is to read aloud to them. Even older kids reap the benefits of having a parent read aloud to them, including increased vocabulary and special bonding time. Pick a book that may seem daunting to your child like a classic or a long series. Countless families have chosen to read together with the parent reading a chapter a day. Sharing a literary journey together can show your child that books offer a whole new world, which can inspire them to pick up a new book on their own. Plus, breaking a large book or series down to a chapter a night demonstrates that books aren’t overwhelming, and that reading can be enjoyed in small chunks of time.

A parent encouraging his children to read over the summer by reading with them.

4. Find a Book Series on Subjects That Interest Them

When your child reads a book that they love, they typically want to read more just like it. That’s why it’s great to tap into books that are written in a series. Kids will want to start the next one as soon as they are done with the first, which will keep them reading all summer long. You could also look to specific authors that your child identifies with. Both Shaquille O’Neal and Cal Ripken Jr. have children’s books that have basketball and baseball themes respectively. Octavia Spencer has written two books about ninja detectives, and Kristi Yamaguchi writes books about animal figure skaters.

3. Read Aloud to Them

There are some kids that just resist reading and motivating them to read over the summer can be a challenge. If this is your student, a great way to help spark their interest in reading is to read aloud to them. Even older kids reap the benefits of having a parent read aloud to them, including increased vocabulary and special bonding time. Pick a book that may seem daunting to your child like a classic or a long series. Countless families have chosen to read together with the parent reading a chapter a day. Sharing a literary journey together can show your child that books offer a whole new world, which can inspire them to pick up a new book on their own. Plus, breaking a large book or series down to a chapter a night demonstrates that books aren’t overwhelming, and that reading can be enjoyed in small chunks of time.

5. Form a Book Club for Their Friends

Kids often lose touch with friends over the long summer months. Kill two birds with one stone by creating a summer book club and inviting their friends. Not only will this inspire your student to read, but it also keeps them connected with friends and supports socialization. Have the kids decide on the book to ensure they choose one they are all interested in reading. If meeting in-person is too tough, have a virtual club meeting to discuss the book. Once you get your book club started, you may find they want to continue it even after school starts!

Additional Ways for Students to Keep Learning All Summer

In addition to summer reading, you can keep your student engaged with learning by doing easy, at-home science experiments. Visit the Connections Academy Resource Hub for additional ideas to keep your student learning all summer long.

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