May 29, 2015

Well, the end is almost near. Summertime is coming!  When I think of summer, I think of lazy days lounging in the sun and reading.  I know a lot of people might not think of reading as a fun summertime activity, but that is the only time that I can really enjoy and totally immerse myself in a good book.

I have always enjoyed reading, but not everyone feels that way.  Especially elementary school students who are looking forward to summer vacation and all the thrills that entails.  Swimming, traveling, summer camps.  Who wants to read over their summer vacation?  Well, they might not want to read, but it is important that they do.  Many studies have revealed that reading just four to six books over the summer is enough to maintain their reading skills.  This is so important in preventing the “summer slide”. It can be very frustrating as an instructor and a student to come back in the fall and have to play “catch up”.

Not only is it important that they read, but that they have a choice in what they read.  In a small study conducted in Rochester, NY, they found that students showed more improvement when they chose their reading material versus being assigned a reading list.  To read more about this study, click on this link: http://bit.ly/1HMrMp3 . 

I truly believe that if students are given a choice in what they are doing, it will be more fun and engaging and something that they want to do instead of something they have to do.  So be sure to pack a few books on that family vacation this summer in order to prevent that “summer slide”.  To help with a little incentive to read, here are some links to some summer reading programs.

Plano Public Library System: Suburban DARE – www.planolibrary.org

Barnes & Noble: Imagination’s Destination – www.BN.com/summerreading

Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge: Power Up & Read - www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-2015

I hope this helps get some of those reluctant readers enjoying some good books this summer so that they will be ready to go when school starts again in the fall.  Happy reading!