Summer Literacy: Stay Ahead So Your Child Doesn't Fall Behind

While rest and relaxation are important for students over the summer- another "r" is often overlooked- reading. According to a recent Journal Sentinel article, students can lose up to a month and a half of learning in the summer. The article suggests that students should try to read 15 minutes a day, simply to maintain learning capacities.   

Summer reading is changing to accommodate this need: The days of recommended reading lists are dwindling, and librarians and educators are shifting the summer reading focus from what kids read to how much they read. Printouts of web pages, graphic novels, magazines, and, of course, books are all good sources for summer reading. Students will retain more information if they print a web page rather than read it off the screen, since the more senses that are involved in an activity, the higher the memory retention rate. Having something tangible also gives them a better sense of how much they are reading- and allows them to feel accomplished.   

Though reading and literacy activities are usually considered a solitary activity, the new emphasis on page count opens up endless possibilities for child-parent interaction. For example:

- Cook or bake with your child, and have he or she read the recipe aloud to you.

- Take a trip to the (air-conditioned) library and check out books, magazines, age-appropriate CDs (for the liner notes), or graphic novels together. Ask the librarian about summer reading program incentives while you are there.

- Read reviews of summer movies before or after viewing and discuss if your child agreed or disagreed with the review.

- If you are taking a road trip this summer, stock the car with word games, maps, and light reading materials

-Spend time together writing. Write postcards, lists, and notes together.

-Spend time together reading. Take turns reading to one another.

Whatever you and your child read and do this summer, maintain a positive, encouraging attitude toward his or her reading choices. If he or she doesn't like a book or magazine- pick up a new one. It's part of what is nice about summer reading- there's no test at the end.