summer reading loss
Summer breaks are always worth the wait, at least for kids. You may remember how exciting those summer breaks used to be during childhood. No pressure to write an essay or pending math homework. There are some of the perks that make you think childhood was the best time of your life.
However, you need to look at these summer breaks from a parent’s point of view now. As a responsible parent, you need to make sure your child enjoys his break from studies, but that does not become the cause of reading loss. To keep that from happening, you need to encourage your child to read, but in a way that he enjoys.
Get the topics that your kid enjoys:
If you want your kids to engage in summer reading on his own, it is important to let him choose the topic of his choice. Remember, your objective is to keep him involved with reading. So instead of forcing him to read something difficult or boring, it is always better to let him choose the topic he enjoys.
When a kid is allowed to read his favorite topic, he not only enjoys the practice but also receives a sense of liberty, which often boosts his confidence. Just monitor his activities, so that he does not misuse the freedom. You don’t always have to hover over his shoulder to ensure that, but it is wise to keep an eye on his practices every now and then.
Listen to audio-books:
If reading seems tedious and boring, you can introduce your kid to the wonders of audio-books. The audio-books are equally effective when it comes to learning, but they are more engaging. As you may realize, listening to a tale is more convenient than reading it. This explains why people in earlier days used to have storytelling sessions with the kids in the house.
Nowadays, almost every other book is available in audio format. So choose anyone that you feel is right for the kid. If you want, you can ask about his preferences as well. After all, he is the one who will listen to the audio-books. The only drawback of this trick, however, is that the kids don’t get to learn the spelling of new words while listening to the audio-book.
Bring him to the library:
If you want your kid to gain interest in books and reading activity, you need to introduce him to the world of books. And what better place is there to gain access to thousands of books than a library? Take the kid to the library and show him around. Since a library has a huge collection of books, there is no way a kid will want to return from there empty-handed.
There is a huge section for children in almost every public library in the world. You can help him pick a book for the week, or let him pick something on his own. If he finds an interesting series of books, the chances are that he may end up borrowing all the books at once. Libraries can do such magic on children. Just let him know about the etiquettes one needs to maintain in a library and how to deal with a borrowed item.
Encourage him to read new books:
While allowing the kids to read something of their choice is an effective way to keep them engaged throughout the summer, it is also necessary to encourage the kids to read something new every once in a while. This allows them to break the monotony of reading the same topic over and over, and also introduce them to a new narrative that they have not explored yet.
As you may realize, kids don’t have the knowledge of all kinds of books that exist. So you need to suggest your child several books that he may like apart from the ones he is already familiar with. Bestsellers like Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling or the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien can be great suggestions. Since these books are popular among kids, teenagers and even adults – there’s a high chance, your kid is going to like them too.
Bring the kid to a bookstore:
With all the online bookstores and e-books, the good-ole bookstores are losing their charm. However, visiting the bookstores to find out the new arrivals can be an amazing experience. Take your kid to the bookstore, so that he also can be the part of the experience. It is quite similar to visiting the library, but here a kid can get to own a copy rather than borrowing it.
During the summer break, visiting the bookstore can be a refreshing activity for the kids. Besides, the main objective of the practice is to find new books to read that can make the kids fall in love with the habit of reading. It is needless to mention how beneficial that habit can be for the kid in the longer run.
Even graphic novels can be engaging:
Graphic novels or the comic books include more visual content than texts. Hence, they can be a great option to keep the kids engaged during the summer break. Such content can provide with a good reading opportunity to the kids. And since kids usually get too much involved in the comics, such type of content can help them build their reading skills without even them knowing it.
Just filter the content for your kid. Even though comic books are usually meant for kids, there are several popular comic book franchises that create content for the mature audience. You don’t want your kids to read stories that involve gun violence, killing or atrocities against women. Graphic novels can be useful for summer reading habits, but you need to screen them first.
Encourage the kids to have a reading club:
During the summer, kids usually want to spend time playing with their friends. Don’t force them to compromise their playtime. Instead, ask them to build a club among themselves, where they can discuss new books and even exchange books with each other. This can be a team-building exercise while encouraging them to read more.
You can talk to the parents of your kid’s friends and share this idea. If they like it, you can let the kids form the club in a basement of your house (or any of those kids’ houses for the matter). This will keep them engaged throughout the summer.
Just remember, the summer holidays are for fun and excitement. You don’t want to take those elements away from the kids. However, a simultaneously, you need to ensure the kids dedicate enough time to read. The best thing you can do is make reading more fun for the kids. These aforementioned tricks can certainly help you achieve that goal.
Author bio: John Mark is an academic professional with special expertise in academic writing. He has been working as a research paper help exert at Myassignmenthelp.com. Besides helping students with their essays and assignments, he also enjoys writing as a hobby.
