This week’s guest blogger, Emma Welsh, is a student working at the Yellowknife Public Library this summer.
With school out, it’s easy to leave the idea of schoolwork and reading behind, distracted with thoughts of lazy beach days or long car trips. That’s why summer holidays are the home of the ‘summer slide’. The term describes the loss of reading and comprehension skills experienced when kids aren’t actively engaged in learning during summer vacation.
Studies have found that the skills lost over summer holidays can take more than two months to regain; that’s 20% of the school year! Students can maintain their skills if they read four to six books during July and August. That’s all it takes!
Here are six tips for families to help keep up reading skills all summer long.
- Let kids pick what they get to read. This may seem obvious but research shows that kids read considerably more in the summer months when they get to choose their reading material. Everything counts, whether it’s a novel, a comic book, a magazine, or the back of a cereal box.
- Set a family reading time. Setting aside just 15 minutes a day can do wonders for preventing the summer slide. Kids are more inclined to enjoy reading if they see how much their parents love it. Making time for the whole family to unwind with a good book sets a habit that will last past the summer. It’s a great chance to recommend childhood favourites to a new generation.
- Tie reading in with family movie night. Summer theatre releases like The Avengers, Pan, and Paper Towns present the opportunity to read the books that inspired these movies. A follow-up family movie outing could be just the encouragement a reluctant reader needs.
- Find a new skill or hobby. Ever wanted to go bird watching? Learn knitting? Try computer coding? Pick up a book for beginners and start a summer project with the whole family.
- Try writing: Have kids write letters to friends who are away on holidays or to extended family who would love an update. Plus, it’s always exciting to get a reply!
- See what’s happening in your community. Check out the summer programs at your local library.
The Yellowknife Public Library has a free Summer Reading Club for kids, ages 3-12 years. Participants who keep track of the books they read are awarded a medal and entered into our end-of-summer prize draw.
