Ah, summer! The time for relaxing and playing in the sun all day for months, right? Although that sounds nice, it’s hardly the reality for long-for either children or parents. Sure, everyone can savor some of that summer goodness, but all too soon, kids get bored and parents become frustrated that the kids can’t just enjoy their summer and entertain themselves-especially after the weeks of social distancing because of the coronavirus. I think we all appreciate a little structure to our days and like to feel accomplished in between the relaxing times.
Summer slump is a thing to avoid too. To top off distance learning this past semester, parents generally want their children to engage in a bit of brain expansion over summer vacation. So how do we help our kids with this? One way is to initiate a fun DIY summer reading program.
Bonus: Sign up for FREE Summer Reading programs at local libraries too!
Your program can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like, as long as your children are engaged and you are committed to it. I think there should be an extra focus on fun this summer in particular after keeping up with pandemic school at home last semester. To ensure this, have your kids help you come up with ideas as you formulate your reading plan.
Begin with a simple blank calendar printed off for each month of summer vacation. Next, sit down with each child and come up with an appropriate and challenging enough reading goal. Depending on the child, perhaps working through a list of suggested reading-level books will be just right. If your child would rather choose his own books, you could agree on a total book count to complete. If that’s not appealing, a minutes- or pages-per-day goal might be satisfactory.
Then decide what time of day this reading should be done. If you have a reluctant reader, perhaps reading should be done first thing in the morning after breakfast or before a favorite activity like going swimming. Reading could also be built in as quiet or rest time in the afternoons. Some children prefer more independent quiet time away from the chaos of family all home together. More extroverted kids may do better if everyone sits down to do independent reading at the same time, so they don’t get as easily distracted or suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out).
Another way to squeeze in some reading time is to pick a couple of family read-alouds. Children of all ages can benefit from being read aloud to-regardless of whether they still fit in your lap. According to ReadBrightly.com, “Reading aloud to kids helps expand their literacy skills, love of reading, worldview, and more.” It goes on to say that reading aloud let’s children experience the joy of story, models fluent reading, can expose them to new types of books, and builds empathy and awareness. Personally, I look forward to read-aloud time with my kids and love the memories and inside jokes that come from that time together. For example, we read Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park, and my 5-year-old likes to quote it and make the rest of us laugh by saying, “Wink, wink, Mom. Wink, wink, wink.” Associating reading with positive family memories can instill an interest in and love of reading for the rest of their lives. Some of our family’s favorite read-alouds include Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, The Legends of Greemulax by Sarah Mlynowski, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald and The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis. Have this time count toward your kids’ reading goals, too, so they have extra incentive to listen and be better role models to any younger siblings. We have read together some afternoons or before bed depending on the day.
All summer reading programs need incentives too, right? Kids love rewards, so either decide what you’re willing to hand out or discuss as a family what some reward ideas could be. Rewards could be daily, weekly or monthly or even a fun end-of-summer prize! They can range widely in price, too, or even be freebies.
Some reward examples include a sticker for each day kids accomplish their reading goal, and they could earn a more substantial prize at the end of each week. Each child could earn her own rewards, such as a one-on-one date with a family member, a special treat from the grocery store, staying up late for a movie night or extra tech time. Family rewards could include a special trip to a new area swimming pool, a miniature golf outing, a trampoline park or a meal out at a family favorite restaurant. If your family already does a summer bucket list, maybe the kids could choose one list item to do each week that they accomplish their reading goals.
If you’re concerned about comprehension more than total books or minutes read, I suggest a reading journal where kids can journal along about what they’re reading and what they think of the book. They can make entries frequently or just after each book is finished.
To make reading more interesting, have your kids set up a book club with a few of their friends where they can get together to discuss the book, either weekly while they’re reading or monthly after they’ve finished the book. Let them be as creative about the club, decorating or having a special snack related to each book. If your child has a best friend, suggest the two do a buddy read so they can discuss daily as they read at the same time. If that sounds too daunting, just hold a book swap where kids have a party to swap stories they’ve finished reading. Audiobooks are also a great option for getting in more reading time, even allowing listeners to multitask while helping with chores around the house or doing a craft. Of course, just listening is okay too.
Other ways to perk up your children’s reading lives include going on a Little Free Library hunt each month or week for a new book, visiting an independent bookstore, reading geographically, doing theme reads (books about animals/water/seasons/winter books over the summer to help you keep cool) or making a reading bingo game. Reading geographically could mean reading a story set in each state or by an author from each state. A bingo card could include boxes such as reading while hanging upside down off the couch, reading in a swing or a hammock, reading to a tree or a pet, reading in an accent or reading the last page of a book first. Your crafty kids could even make dioramas about the books they read over the summer.
After the onslaught of at-home learning the past few weeks, make sure to cut yourself some slack. As long as your kids read a little bit, count it as a win. For more inspiration, check out some bookish podcasts such as The Read-Aloud Revival.
Stephanie Loux is a mother of three, and story time remains one of the highlights of the day with her kids Layla, 10, Mason, 8, and Slade, 5.