Research tells us that children who do not read during summer months can lose up to three months of reading progress in the fall. Who knew?! Reading just a few books a week can help your child be ready for the next school.

Now you are probably thinking, “you’re not a teacher, why do you care so much about reading books?” Books are full of amazing language opportunities. They can teach new vocabulary words, target problem solving, and spark imagination to continue enjoying the story outside the pages of the book. I encourage you to bring words to life any opportunity you can get. Yes, this might mean you are heading out for ice cream after reading your favourite story about ice cream or heading outside into the sandbox following a fun story about building a sandcastle.

Do not mistake this with sitting down and reviewing math vocabulary learned in the last school year. Who wants to spend their summer doing that? Summer reading means reading for fun and creating a joy for reading. Use resources such as your local library, give a book/take a book location in your neighboring, exploring apps such as Vooks or Epic, or take part in virtual reading programs in your community.

Involve your child in the planning process. There is so much a child can learn when they are given responsibility to make the grocery list, plan out the agenda for the day, or pack the car for the trip to the beach.

Get creative and have fun reading! Use the links below to inspire fun reading ideas throughout the summer:

https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

https://www.reginalibrary.ca/levelup

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/10-weeks-summer-reading-adventures-you-and-your-kids

https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-reading-learning

Written by Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, Avery Schick.