If you are anything like us, here at Discover Books, you love reading…regardless of what time of year it might be. We look forward to summer especially, because it is one of the most relaxing times of the year with warm weather, longer days and…you guessed it…vacation!!
However, a lot of younger readers and students might feel differently. We get it…Reading books all school year long can be exhausting and we can surely understand why some students don’t even want to LOOK at a book over the summer. Spending time outside with friends in the pool or the sprinkler, eating ice cream and catching lightning bugs…these activities all sound a lot more summer-y than reading.
But, make no mistake about it – Reading over the summer is extremely important and we are here to tell you why. There is extensive research about the benefits of summer reading for all ages. Readingrockets.org says:
“Children who don’t read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress and that loss has a cumulative, long-term effect.”
We definitely want to avoid that right?!? Click here to visit their summer reading website, equipped with tons of resources to help your family stay on track over the summer months!
Also, Scholastic has compiled a list of 10 Critical Facts about Summer Reading and some of them will blow your mind! A few of them that we thought were interesting were:
1) Regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic level, or previous achievement, children who read four or more books over the summer fare better on reading-comprehension tests in the fall than their peers who read one or no books over the summer. – If that doesn’t make you want to get reading over the summer, I don’t know what will! BRAIN POWERRR!!
2) Teachers typically spend between 4 to 6 weeks re-teaching material students have forgotten over the summer. – We love our teachers so let’s do them a favor and read over the summer…it’s a win-win for everyone right?!
3) An overwhelming 92% of kids say they are more likely to finish a book they picked out themselves. – No problem! Head to your local library or to www.discoverbooks.com and let your child pick out affordable books that they love right now!
There are no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. We know that summer reading is important. Sure…it can be intimidating if you don’t know where to start but luckily, there is still plenty of time left to get involved. A good starting point is your local library. Ask them if they have a summer reading program and I’m sure they would love to help you and your family get started now!
Happy Summer Reading!
