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How to Keep Kids Reading Over the Summer: 15 Tips for Teachers and Parents

When you think of summer break, you probably don’t envision kids with their noses in a book. But knowing how to keep kids reading over the summer is important for both teachers and parents.

We want our kids to keep their skills sharp over the summer. Just like learning a new sport, if you don’t practice regularly, you’ll get rusty. In education, we call it the summer slide. That’s when kids lose some of their academic skills from lack of practice. Then we need to spend the first few weeks of the new school year relearning them.

The best way to stop the summer slide is to keep kids reading. They don’t need do spelling drills or answer a bunch of comprehension questions. All you have to do is make reading a fun part of daily life.

how to keep kids reading over the summer

So how do you get kids to make books part of their summer vacation and keep reading over the break? Here are my 15 best tips. (Teachers, at the end of this post is a printable list that you can send home with your students.)

How to Keep Kids Reading Over The Summer

  • Show off your own reading habit
  • Create an inviting spot for reading
  • Visit the local library and get a library card
  • Find books that match your child’s interests
  • Connect summer activities to reading
  • Make a special time for reading every day
  • Start a family book club
  • Keep a stash of books in the car
  • Create a fun summer reading challenge
  • Read to your children – even if they are in middle school
  • Ask your local bookstore about their summer reading program
  • Utilize audio books or listen to books online
  • Subscribe your child to a magazine
  • Help your child find a pen pal
  • Ask your child about what they are reading

Let’s take a closer look at a few of my favorite ways to build a love of reading even during the summer…

Show off your own reading habit

If you don’t read, your child most likely won’t want to read either. So be a good example! That doesn’t mean you have to sit down with a long novel every night. Just let your kids see you reading SOMETHING every day.

One of my favorite things to read is a cookbook. I LOVE them! The pictures are amazing. I enjoy trying new recipes. And let’s not mince words – I love to eat. Even reading a cookbook shows a child that reading has a purpose and doesn’t have to be boring.

Whatever it is that you like to read (back of the cereal box? street signs?), the important thing is to let your kids see you doing it!

Visit the public library and get a library card

This might seem like a no-brainer, but getting your kids their own library card is powerful. It’s almost like giving them a wad of cash to go shopping. Make it a big event, hype it up.

When my kids were little, I got them their own little wallets to keep their cards in. They could hardly contain their excitement! Then, when they realized they could pick out 2, 5, even 10 books – whatever they wanted – wow!

Please don’t be a dictator at the library and tell your kids what books to check out. That’s a great way to ruin all the fun. Knowing how to keep kids reading over the summer starts with letting them choose what they want to read!

Subscribe your child to a magazine

A lot of kids are reluctant readers. Maybe they haven’t found many books about topics they enjoy. Maybe reading is just hard. To help all kids become stronger readers, I highly recommend getting at least one children’s magazine subscription.

Magazines have short, easy to digest articles. There are lots of pictures and other text features to help kids understand the content. Plus, magazines are just fun. It’s very exciting for kids to run to the mailbox each month to get a delivery that’s just for them.

Here are some great kids magazines for a variety of interests and ages:

  • National Geographic Kids (older children)
  • Nat Geo Little Kids (younger children)
  • Ranger Rick (for animal and nature lovers)
  • Sports Illustrated Kids
  • Kazoo (geared toward girls)
  • Jack and Jill
  • Click (by Cricket)

Magazines are particularly good for kids with ADHD. They have shorter articles and stories, lots of picture support, and don’t require the reader to follow a long storyline or plot. It’s easy to read a magazine in small doses, put it down, and pick it back up later.

Create summer reading challenges

There’s nothing wrong with rewarding kids for reading. Plus, it’s a fun way to teach them about setting goals.

To create your reading challenge, decide on a prize. It can be as simple as going for an ice cream cone, getting to stay up an extra half hour at night, or doing a fun activity together.

Next set a reading goal with your child (a certain number of minutes or books or to read every day for a week). When the goal is reached, they earn the prize! Then you can set a new goal.

Here are some free summer reading bookmarks your students or child can use to track their reading. This is a great way to keep kids reading over the summer!

summer reading bookmarks

Utilize audio books

This really does actually count as reading! Audio books help kids develop strong listening comprehension. They also let them access literature that might have a reading level a little bit too difficult for them to read themselves.

Two of my favorite online sources for audio books are Storyline Online and GetEpic. Storyline Online has a great selection of classic and newer books read aloud by celebrities and other famous people. GetEpic has a vast selection of children’s books for kids of all ages in every genre you can think of. It’s fantastic for home or classroom use!

If your child has a documented learning disability, you’ll want to check out Bookshare – the largest source for free accessible books online.

Another great resource for audio books is the library. Most public libraries have audio books you can check out and many have online borrowing where you can download books right onto your tablet or phone.

Connect summer activities to reading

Figuring out how to keep kids reading over the summer can be as simple as reading about the things they are doing over the summer. Visiting the zoo? Get some books about the animals you will see. Taking a trip to the beach? Check out a book like High Tide At Noon or Pete At The Beach.

For more independent readers, you can find some great how-to books to support their summer interests like How to Build Treehouses, Huts, and Forts or Fun Summer Recipes for Kids

Help your child find a pen pal

Any kind of reading is good reading – even a letter from a friend! Encourage your child to write back and forth to a friend or relative. Or you can help them find a long-distance pen pal. I suggest Peaceful Pen Pals. The program features more than 300 chapters around the world. The Peaceful Pen Pals program is designed to connect kids through love, compassion and kindness. 

Another good program is International Pen Friends which has been around for more than 50 years! This one has a small membership fee and will match your child, based on age and interests, with up to 14 different pen pals.

Create Lifelong Readers

These tips won’t just keep your kids reading this summer – They will also go a long way toward creating lifelong readers! And the best part is that all of these ideas are easy and free.

how to keep kids reading over the summer tip sheet for parents

Teachers, do you want to share some of these ideas with your students’ parents?

⏬ Download this free tip sheet for parents with 9 ideas for how to keep kids reading over the summer at home.

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