School’s out for the summer and your kids are acting like they’ve never seen a book. Between the computer, the iPod, and the lure of a sunny day, reading seems to be the last thing they want to do.
Children forget an average of two months’ worth of knowledge during the summer if they don’t engage in some kind of educational activity, according to the National Summer Learning Association. Luckily, with some simple strategies, you can avoid this so-called “summer slide.” The key is not to panic. If you play it cool, and make reading fun instead of a chore, you can nurture a passion for reading in even the most stubborn child.
Just as no two books are alike, no two children are alike, either. Tap into your children’s unique personalities and interests and create tailor-made summer reading programs just for them.
For the enthusiast
Is your 1st grader crazy about dinosaurs? Does your tween love fashion? Is your high schooler obsessed with cars? Leverage that. Perhaps the easiest way to get a child reading is to tap into his hobbies and interests. Provide them with reading materials on the subjects they love and they will be more likely to want to read. Don’t worry about the format of the book. Comic books, novels, and encyclopedias are all okay as long as your child reads them.
If you’re planning a vacation to the ocean, provide your child books on sea life or boating. Likewise, if your child loves baseball, give her sporting magazines or even the sports pages of your local paper so she can follow her favorite players and teams. Focus on the subject instead of the activity so your children don’t feel like they are doing schoolwork during their vacation.
For the movie buff
Try a similar approach with your child who loves movies. If you have young children, help them read books like Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! or Margret and H.A. Rey’s Curious George series and then watch the movie with them. If your child is older, arrange a party for them and some friends after they’ve read a book first. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are all good stories that were made into entertaining movies.
“Watching a movie gives children and adults an opportunity to discuss the content together, covering its events, dilemmas, and moral implications,” says Mary Mokris, reading specialist for Kumon Math and Reading Centers. “Either watching a movie based on a book or reading a book with a film adaptation provides opportunities to revisit the tale in another format. This combination sharpens both comprehension and decoding abilities, two of the most important skills for future academics, and for life.”
For the social butterfly
Including friends may be your best strategy if your child is very social and can’t stand to miss out on group activities. Riche Holmes Grant, president and chief academic officer of Innovative Study Techniques, an educational services company, suggests starting a book club for your child and his friends. Give each child in the club a turn to choose the book and have them meet once a week for an hour to discuss what they’ve read. By keeping the discussion brief and providing snacks, your child will view this time as a fun, social time, not obligatory learning time.
Another suggestion is to enlist the help of your neighbors. It’s hard to get your child to sit down and read when the neighbors are outside playing. If possible, coordinate a daily reading time on your block so that the children have fewer distractions. Once the designated time is over, have all the children meet outside to play.
For the achiever
Does your child love to win? Go ahead and tap into her natural competitiveness. Set goals for the number of pages read daily, the number of minutes spent reading each week, or the total number of books read each month and reward your child when she meet targets. Post her progress where she can keep track of it—perhaps on the refrigerator or her bedroom door. Let your child choose the rewards so she has an incentive to meet her goals. Also, check your local library for townwide reading contests.
For the technowizard
Would your child rather pick up a video game remote or an iPhone than a book? Don’t worry, there’s an app for that. Rather than fight with your child over their preference for all things digital, embrace it. There are plenty of great electronic books and computer-based programs that help develop and reinforce reading skills.
Look online for electronic books. Many local libraries provide free access to children’s books that can be viewed on a computer. And a number of retailers sell books for handheld devices, like smart phones and e-readers. For kids who love gadgets, using an e-reader can make reading cool.
Older children who love video games may be interested in reading gaming magazines or websites. Again, if you embrace your child’s unique interests he will be more likely to enjoy reading.
Finally, remember that books are not your child’s only access to reading. If you’ve tried these approaches and he’s still reluctant to read, put away the books and look for other opportunities to practice reading skills. Have your child assist you at the grocery store by reading items off a shopping list. Do some craft projects together and have your child read the instructions. Or, have him help you navigate in the car by reading street and highway signs. Even if he doesn’t crack open a book, he can still read. And reading, like summertime, should be fun for your family.