5 Diverse Summer Reading Programs To Help Your Child Stay On Target This Summer And Excel In The Fall
You may or may not have heard of Summer Slide. It’s not a theme park or roller coaster ride for kids. The summer slide is a decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months when school isn’t in session.
If you have a child on an IEP or 504 plan or needs help staying on task, this is for you. Truthfully, the summer slide can happen to any child, especially with parents returning to work and children reacclimating to a traditional school environment. We are all swamped and pulled in different directions. However, in the last two years, I have realized that we can’t be so overtaxed that we ignore what’s happening with our child’s education, especially Black and brown children.
Unfortunately, minority children often experience two things: they aren’t encouraged when they excel too quickly or don’t get the proper attention when they need help. Our son responds the best when my husband and I teach him. The rigors of parent teaching can be challenging to maintain alongside other duties. Thankfully this year, we are incorporating that village mentality to assist with our children’s education. One of those ways is with reading. Reading has two forms; you can read for information and read to analyze and teach yourself. This homeschool mom has a fantastic system for incorporating games and practices for teaching kids how to blend letter sounds.
It’s never too early to teach kids to blend or to reteach children the basics of blending letter sounds. Reading is also about stimulating intellectual curiosity and inspiring lifelong learners. Books provide the gateway to worlds and cultures beyond our doorstep; we can never go wrong with inspiring our kids to read. Here are 5 summer reading programs that will help keep your child engaged with a love of reading and help to combat the effects of summer slide.
Your Local Library
Our local library in Montgomery County MD has a multitude of diverse reading programs for children throughout the year. The Mongtomery County Public Library offers a Summer Reading Challenge every year. You can find libraries with reading programs in your local area.
The Little Free Library
This summer we are building a Little Free Library at our house for our daughter’s birthday. The library will be used by all of the neighborhood kids and will be dedicated in loving memory of our daughter Calais, who passed away from a pediatric brain tumor. It’s a wonderful way to honor her memory and to remind us the wonderful comfort reading brought our family during those long days and nights at the hospital. The LFL has a program called Reading Rockets. The site is a filled with information to help children succeed. From graphic organizers, to reading interventions, book suggestions and a literacy blog. One of my favorite things is the adventure literacy pack that features The Lorax. There is a study guide and so much more. It’s a wonderful resource. You can be sure to find what you need here.
Chuck E Cheese Summer Reading Program
Who doesn’t love Chuck E. Cheese. It’s even better that they offer a fun summer reading program that offers kids play points, certificates of achievement, stickers, and other incentives to engage young readers. You can learn about the Summer Reading Program here.
The Little Feminist Book Club
If you are commited to raising compassionate intersectional feminist children that are anti-racist, body-positive, trans & gender-fluid inclusive, and denouce ableism & classism as well — this book club is for you. I love that it and it’s needed for us all. This book club educates parents and kids through books on tough topics and how to navigate those difficult conversations that move us toward the equity we all are working hard for. You can learn about what they offer here.
Scholastic
The Scholastic blog offers more than just a reading challenge. They offer ways for you to create your own reading challenge and boost your child’s literacy. There are countless things to download, print, view and practice. Learn more here on the Scholastic on the website.
I will post more over the summer. I hope that you find this helpful to getting started with one hour a day with your child’s reading.
