Reading Fights Summer Learning Loss
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By VANESSA W. SNYDER
I’m grateful and humble that my daughters enjoy reading. However, there are times when I fear the computer and other technology might be hampering their interest in reading. Since I’m a teacher and since it’s summer I’m really concerned about the amount of time they spend reading.
Weak reading skills can result in a lack of comprehension, critical thinking, fluency and vocabulary. Furthermore, the learning and knowledge that is lost over the summer is well documented. Teachers and parents lament this issue every year. Reading can go a long way in minimizing this loss of learning.
Summer is the perfect time to focus on reading, which really spans all subject areas. Students love to say how much they hate to read, but the reality is there are things they’ll like to read if we point them in the right direction. Here are some tips for keeping your child reading during summer break, and all year long:
Be proactive. Don’t just tell your children to find something to read, present them with choices. Visit the public library and find out what’s popular among teens. Spend time researching your child’s interests. And, yes, reading magazines is okay, too.
Establish incentives. If you have a truly reluctant reader. Try offering incentives. This might be in the form of gifts, special privileges, cash, etc.
Read a book with your child. I read Twilight and hate to admit I actually enjoyed it. One benefit of reading books with your child is that you can have conversations together about the book. You can even do this as a family.
Search summer reading lists. Most schools or districts provide these materials, but if not, look online.
Find/form a teen book club. This can be a lot of fun if you can use a book that other teens are reading. Meet every couple of weeks and serve snacks. Prepare questions and try to hit all of “Blooms Taxonomy.”
Read a book online. The digital generation is more apt to read a book this way and it’s perfectly fine. If you happen to own a Kindle or another such device, then certainly use it.
Have a family reading time. This is similar to the Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) strategy that is popular among many educators. A certain time every day, everyone stops and reads. There’s no reason this can’t be done at home.
Set up a special reading space. This might be a bean bag in the bedroom, a rocking chair on the porch or a comfy chair with a foot rest.
