Summer Reading Ideas to Help Your Child Avoid The Summer Slide

Written By Lana Schrock

The summer slide is  something that teachers, tutors, and parents should be trying to combat more. So, what is it exactly? According to Scholastic, the summer slide, or summer learning loss, refers to the fact that “kids lose significant knowledge in reading…over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year.” Furthermore, “children in 3rd to 5th grades also showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading.” The summer slide tends to affect younger children, as their tender age places them at a very important stage of learning development in their lives (https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/summer-slide.html). While 20 percent may not seem like a lot, the crucial detail about summer learning loss is that it builds up over time. By the end of summer, children jump into a new school year with little to no time for extensive review in the classroom to regain what they have lost. Therefore, students are still left to cope with that learning loss as they are expected to learn new concepts to advance their reading, leading to difficulty and growing frustration. Yikes! 

So, what can be done to combat this? Here are some summer reading ideas to help your child avoid the dreadful summer slide.

Take Advantage of Your Local Library

Need something fun for your kids to do that won’t hurt your wallet? Take them to the library on a weekly basis! Let your children explore different genres and types of books, and have them sit and read for 20 minutes or so. Libraries offer their very own reading programs and activities that are sure to keep kids engaged in the world of reading all summer long. If your child is hesitant to read on their own, make it a Storytime and read to them, or take turns; you read one page and they can read another. Is your child having trouble deciding what type of book to read? Ask your local librarian to suggest some great reads based on your child’s interests. Whichever way you decide to expose your child to reading, it is sure to help them retain and build on the reading skills that they have learned during the school year. 

Get Some Sight Word Flashcards and Practice, Practice, Practice!

As a tutor, one of my favorite tools to use is sight word flashcards to help kids build their vocabulary, word recognition, and reading comprehension. Sight word flashcards are not hard to find. They are available at your local Wal-Mart or Target in the book section, or sometimes even at dollar or discount stores. You can simply go through the sight word deck with your child or you can get more creative by asking them to identify rhyming words. Have a reverse spelling bee by spelling the word and having your little one tell you what word you just spelled. The possibilities are endless!

Hire a Local Tutor

Local or online tutors are a great resource for summer learning. As tutors, we provide educational resources and activities to help your child unlock their love of reading all year long. As a local tutor trying to make my community better, I have so much fun working and meeting with local kids and families. On the other hand, children often enjoy seeing a fresh face during the summer and getting out of the house to explore and learn new things. It’s truly a win-win!

Please consider involving your children in one or all of these activities to not only make their summer fun, but also full of invaluable, meaningful learning that will stay with your child for years to come. 

Lana Schrock
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