3 Things Education Experts Do to Keep Kids Learning in the Summer

These are the surprisingly easy ways to stop learning loss in its tracks.

Jul 18, 2023

Ages

6-13

3 Things Education Experts Do to Keep Kids Learning in the Summer

Jul 18, 2023

To young kids, summer break means fun and endless possibilities. But for parents, it often comes with a bit of added stress: There might be childcare to strategize, trips to plan, and so many other odds and ends to take care of.

Happily, keeping kids reading during the summer doesn't have to be a difficult endeavor. According to the 8th edition of the Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report, 61 percent of kids enjoy summer reading, and love picture books, early chapter books, and graphic novels best. 

In addition, kids are also more likely to turn to reading for fun when they've chosen their own books. In fact, 93 percent of kids say that their favorite books are the ones they've chosen for themselves, and a further 92 percent say that they're more likely to finish a book they've picked out. 

James Kim, M.Ed, an assistant professor of education at Harvard University, is the principal investigator for READS for Summer Learning, a program that seeks to improve children’s reading and comprehension skills throughout the summer months.

Here are the three more key things he says helps kids get the most out of summer reading.

1. Give Kids a Wide Variety of Reading Materials

It’s best if children have access to both informational and narrative texts they’re interested in, such as a factual book about space (like Everything Awesome About Space and Other Galactic Facts) and the latest installment of a fictional series they love (like Dog Man or The Bad Guys).

“With summer reading, we want to help kids read for fun and understand that you should read just for the sake of reading itself, and not to do well on a test,” says Kim. “Access to a wide variety of books is really helpful in achieving that goal.”

2. Find Books at the Right Reading Level

Any books are helpful for boosting summer reading, but those that kids can easily understand are particularly important. “We wouldn’t want to give kids texts that are too hard, because in the summer, there’s no teacher available to provide support when they read,” says Kim.

You might try a trick called the five-finger rule. Ask your child to read a passage from a book (about 100 words is enough) and raise one finger for each word that is too difficult for them to read. If they have more than five fingers up, they may need a simpler book.

3. Talk About a Book’s Plot

During read-aloud time, make sure you talk and ask questions about what you’re reading. This helps boost children's reading comprehension skills. “Sometimes that might be saying, ‘Tell me about your favorite part of the book,’” says Kim. 

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