Primary – Summer Reading

We are all very excited about the upcoming summer holiday. It is a great chance to travel, reconnect with family and friends and relax. We can enjoy a slower pace of life for a few weeks.

It is also critical to keep children READING during the long summer holiday. Research shows that students can lose up to 3 months of reading growth during the summer if they are not engaged in books. This impact is cumulative and by the end of grade six, children who don’t read over each summer, can be as much as 2 years behind in reading.

In this article you will find resources for supporting your child’s reading during the summer. There are many ways to make it FUN!

Scholastic is a popular American website that promotes reading in schools and at home. There are many fun games and tips on this site. You can also sign your child up for the Summer Reading Challenge. On this web-site there are book lists appropriate for all grade levels and reading levels as well.

http://www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-2016

Reading Rockets is a website which provides many articles outlining the importance of summer reading. There are easy to understand tips for parents and ideas to motivate students all summer long.

http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/summer

Bookstores are a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Many children who grow up overseas don’t often have the chance to visit a large bookstore in their home language. Let your child peruse the shelves to find books that interest them. Holding, smelling and paging through “real” books is a very different experience than choosing ebooks on the computer. Have fun looking together!!!

Karli Walsh

Early Intervention Teacher