Tips for Keeping Reading Skills on Track

Reading is critical for children to be successful in school, but very easy to fall behind in during summer. Like any other skill, reading requires practice. With school starting soon, it’s easy for children to fall out of practice.

During the school year, children are practicing reading every day, several times a day.  This means that maintaining their reading skills is going to require consistent and intentional work.  If your child isn’t an avid reader, it can take some creative strategies to encourage them to read during summer.

Convincing your kids to read when school is far from their mind can definitely be a challenge.

Here are some tips and ideas for keeping kids on track in their reading skills on track over the summer:

1.Check out some new Reading Apps: There are tons of reading apps out there, ranging from interactive stories to word games.  If your child is an avid reader, then a library style app is key for your kids. It’s also great for early readers who love to read and explore new books because you will have an entire library at your fingertips.  For children who don’t love to read, there are reading apps that function more like games and puzzles. Check out our post on Reading Apps to Download For Your Kids This Summer!

2. Story writing:  Writing is reading and reading is writing. By creating and editing a story, a child is actively evaluating what they are reading. Getting your kids writing over the summer will help maintain their reading skills – and encourage creative and inventive thinking.

Come up with a unique topic for your kid to write a story about each week. Stories don’t need to be long – you can set the parameters as to what makes sense for your child’s level.  Develop an incentive that will motivate them to do it – extra time playing video games, a sleepover, a movie they want to see, or extra allowance.   

For younger kids, write a story together or as a family activity. You can have the children create a book out of paper and illustrate each page. They can add it to the home library as a fun way to celebrate their accomplishment!

3. Make the library a habit:  Schedule a weekly Library visit. Have your child bring a friend.  Look into activities happening at the local library to see if they would appeal to your child. Have your kid pick out at least one new book each visit.

If your child needs some guidance, talk about a topic in advance to explore. The library is also a pretty relaxing place to go, so camp out in the children’s book corner for a bit and take advantage of the quiet.

5. Connect reading to their experiences: If your child is having a hard time getting excited about reading, find material based on their interests or activities. It can be about something they saw recently or something they’re going to do.  If they saw a movie recently or you’re going on vacation soon, find a book that connects. The more real-world connection, the more kids can become invested.

6. Subscribe to a magazine: kids magazines still exist! Find one about a topic that your child is interested in. There are plenty out there.  Reading doesn’t always need to be high-level; it’s more important that children are engaged and consistent.

Have some great tips for keeping kids on track for reading over the summer? Leave your ideas in the comments!