The heat of summer is upon us and children crave a pause. They yearn for endless frolicking, aquatic adventures, and a reprieve from academic burdens.
Indeed, they deserve this. However, a prolonged hiatus from reading can prove detrimental. Educators are well aware that children who refrain from reading throughout summer witness considerable regressions in their literacy prowess. They lose familiarity with words and phonetic patterns. Their problem-solving skills deteriorate and, more alarmingly, they tend to lose the reading fluency acquired over the past academic year.
Reading, as the bedrock of all education, is the single most vital skill that requires consistent honing. This practice isn’t restricted to solo reading, but can be nurtured through family storytelling sessions, audiobooks, children’s own narrative writings, and participation in library reading hours.
It’s impossible to emphasize enough the importance of regular reading for children, especially during the summer vacation. Here are some reasons:
Budding Readers
Budding readers, typically ranging from kindergarten to second or third grade, are still grappling with the complexities of the written language. They painstakingly sound out words and often stumble. They are primed for basic sentences but may fail to recall the sounds associated with the letters y or w. They track text with their fingers and require prompts to re-read or attempt again when they falter. While they have developed a solid foundation in reading, they haven’t quite mastered it yet. Their skills remain delicate.
Without regular practice over the summer, these young readers stand to lose much of their learned abilities. If this happens, they’ll likely return to school in the autumn needing to start from square one. The hard truth about budding readers is that they can quickly lose self-assurance.
Prevent this from occurring. Ten to fifteen minutes of daily shared reading, accompanied by enjoyable storytimes, will suffice. This routine will not only retain their hard-earned skills, but also allow them to continue their progression and be prepared for new challenges come autumn.
Intermediate Readers
These children have shown considerable improvement over the academic year, yet they haven’t attained independent reader status. Their reading flow varies. They might need prompts to self-question during reading to understand the content. Their reading tends to be word-focused rather than fluent.
They possess a limited vocabulary, but they can independently read simple books.
These children need to revisit familiar books for fluency, but also engage with more challenging, appealing books. They’ll profit from independent practice as well as guided reading that fosters good strategies such as re-reading for understanding, trying a different approach if the text doesn’t make sense, and contemplating story elements like the beginning, middle and end, characters, and plot.
Without summer reading, these intermediate readers will surely regress. However, with only fifteen to twenty minutes of daily reading, they’ll preserve their existing skills and might even advance on their own.
It’s crucial to select engaging books for intermediate readers. Note that comics, magazine articles, and even assembly instructions for model aircraft qualify as reading material. Be innovative in discovering motivating reading resources for your intermediate reader. The results will speak for themselves.
Proficient Readers
It’s easy to assume that proficient readers don’t require summer reading practice, given their seemingly effortless reading ability. However, consider the learning opportunities they’ll forego if they neglect reading throughout summer. Research reveals that vocabulary is the best indicator of academic success, and reading is the most effective method of vocabulary expansion. Even proficient readers need to continually refine their skills and possibly delve into new genres such as biographies, poetry, science fiction, or contemporary non-fiction books to enhance their reading capabilities.
Critical thinkers are competent readers. Autonomous learners require outstanding reading skills to embark on independent projects. Seek out lists of notable books across various genres. Motivate your proficient reader to read and further their knowledge through artistic projects or other creative pursuits. Assist them in choosing high-quality literature. Reading lays the groundwork for scholastic excellence.
Be Purposeful
You’ll have a higher chance of incorporating reading into your summer routine if you’re deliberate about it. Establish a fixed reading time each day and adhere to it as much as feasible. Incorporate library visits into your summer activities. Leverage your local bookstore’s summer reading scheme or storytelling sessions.
Consider introducing a family summer reading contest to inspire reading a specific number of pages or books. Be sure to reward your reader when they achieve their reading goals.