Summer Reading Loss

I don’t know about you other momma’s out there, but I always worry a bit about summer and my kids forgetting things they learned during the school year. Their teachers (and me!) worked so hard all school year to teach them new things,  and we did lots of homework to try and glue the learning into their brains and then the long days of summer come along and you just pray they don’t forget it all!

I was reading online and was shocked by the following quote!

“The few months (summer months) of loss in reading skills compounds over the years; by the time children reach middle school, those who haven’t read during the summers may have lost as much as two years worth of achievement.

Agh! That is scary! It is so important to keep our kids reading and thinking all summer long, here is what we are doing at our house to prevent the summer reading slide!!

*All of the information shared in this post I found online, you can find the sources at the end of the post. There are so many great ideas and resources available, I encourage you to read through these sites and pick and choose what will work for your family to help with Summer Reading Loss and other types of summer learning loss.

1) Summer Reading Programs:  Most every library has a Summer Reading Program for kids. Mine even has a program for adults, score for me! There are rules and guidelines and each library is different so you will just have to look into the library closest to you. Our library has different programs for kids of each age group and there are age appropriate prizes given as they read the required number of books. And then…if they finish the entire program before summer is over they get to pick a free book! Awesome! These little prizes really make my girls want to read. We go to the library several times a week for new books and new incentive prizes. If your library does not offer a summer program then create your own, here is a super cute printable you could use from Busy Mom Media!

2) Media Bucks:  I created a free printable (go here to print them) of some media money that my girls have to earn. They have to turn in the media bucks to use any type of electronic device; ie. tv, computer, wii, my phone, etc. I can’t stand my kids using these devices all the time, I feel like they turn into little media robots. They would play on electronics all day if I let them! In order to earn media bucks my girls have to read, do chores, do a math worksheet, etc. I created a list of things they can do and how many bucks each item is worth when completed. It is working well so far to get them off the electronics more and into a book or other activity.

3) Online Reading Sites:  If my kids have to be on the computer they might as well spend that time doing something educational right! There are many sites where your child can read books, or have books read to them online. We use 2 different sites myon.com and readingeggs.com. I was provided a username and password from my daughters school in order to use these particular programs. If you don’t have access to sites like these through your child’s elementary school you can use Oxford Owl which has free online full color books for kids to read!

4) Take Books Every Where You Go:  When you are traveling this summer, or in the car running errands, or at the doctors office, anywhere you go make sure to take books with you. Instead of breaking out your phone to entertain your kids, break out a book and read it!

5) Read Everything: There are signs, and words everywhere. Have your child point out the letters, or read the words wherever you go. We like to play the A.B,C game. We look as we are driving or sitting someplace for all the letters of the alphabet from a to z. With my oldest who reads she has to find and read words that contain the letters, where my preschooler just has to identify the individual letters. They love this game, sometimes we even make a race out of it.

I seriously love to read. In fact sometimes it is a problem and I just can’t put my book down even to sleep!! I get so much enjoyment from disappearing into a good book. I want my girls to find that same joy, hopefully I can help them along this path to love reading and not lose any of that school year learning in the process!

Sources:
PBS Parents
Reading Rockets
Scholastic

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