Some Ways to Support Your Child’s Reading
Over the Summer
The children have made so much progress in their reading this
year, and it would be great if they carried this momentum through
the summer and into next year, too. Reading isn’t simply a
school subject; it’s a survival tool, one of life’s pleasures, and a
way to find information of interest. The following are some suggestions for extending your
child’s reading life not only past the school day, but also beyond the school year.

Read to your child daily –
Parents often think that once a child can read proficiently on his/her own it is no longer
necessary or beneficial to read aloud. In fact, the experience of being read to supports
all kinds of readers, from the most fluent to the most emergent. This is especially
important for students K-2, but can also be a chance to talk with your older child about
books. When you read aloud, it’s a good idea to hold the book in a way that your child
can follow along, too. Audiobooks or iPods are also great, especially during long car
rides. Recorded books allow the whole family to be involved in a particular book or
series.

Expect your child to read daily –
Because it’s summer time, and that means outdoors,
relaxation, camp, family trips, etc., children may resist
reading because they equate it with school. However, you
can convey your expectations that they are reading daily by
asking them questions about what they are reading: “How is
that book going?” “What happened in your story today?”
Ask your child about what his/her favorite time of day is for
reading. Also, it helps to remember that any kind of
experience with text can be part of the idea of reading daily.
It counts if your child sometimes sits with a nonfiction book
or magazine looking at the pictures, or if your child rereads
books that you know they’ve read before.

Support social structures around reading –
In the classroom, kids enjoy getting recommendations about reading from other kids,
and they also like to read the same books at the same time. It’s kind of like an informal
book club. If your child has a regular playdate friend, they might like to read the same
book and have a club around the book. You can ask your child if there was anyone in
class that they particularly enjoyed reading with and then offer to take them to the
library or bookstore to pick out a book to read together. Each child can have a copy
and they can make plans. (“Let’s read the first chapter. Then I’ll call you and we can
talk about it.”) If they actually meet to talk, you could help celebrate this by getting
snacks or videotaping their book talk.

Set goals for summer reading –
You can also encourage your kids to make a list of their
summer reading goals. What are the books they’ve wanted
to read? How many can they finish over the summer?

Value series books –
Although series books may not always be great literature,
they provide several things that support young readers.
Books in a series often have consistency in character,
storyline, beginnings, etc. For example, all Nate the Great
books start the same way – with an explanation about Nate,
the detective. This is like a starter kit for the book. The
children don’t have to do the work of figuring out how the
book goes: they can concentrate on the story. Series books often have engaging
characters doing “kid” things, so the children can imagine themselves into the books.
 Go to places where books are –
Take trips to libraries, bookstores, and/or yard sales. Contact
your library for summer activities for children. They may also
have a suggested reading list. If you are away for an extended
vacation, visit the local library, where temporary library cards
may be available. Many libraries and bookstores have incentive
programs for summer reading. For example, Barnes and Noble
will give kids a free book if they fill out a form showing they’ve
read a set number of books over the summer.

Share your reading life –
Whether your preference is for novels, newspapers,
magazines, nonfiction, trade books, journal articles, or the
backs of cereal boxes, it is interesting to share this with
your child. Being specific about your reading, by saying
such things as “I just finished the best book! I have to find
something to read next…” or “I love reading right before
bedtime, just like you do,” helps your child to realize how
many varieties of reading and readers there are in the world.
Happy reading to all, and have a wonderful summer!
For more information, please visit: http://familiesreadingtogether.blogspot.com/