June, 2025 | By Sahibzadi Noor.
As the school year draws to a close and the exciting days of summer break are just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to think about how we can keep those young minds engaged and learning, even while having fun! One of the most wonderful ways to do this is through the magic of reading.
The summer break provides an excellent opportunity to enhance the reading skills by exploring new stories, genres and polishing their creativity. This would also develop a lifelong love for the books without the school week pressures. These are some of my personal favorite ways to increase the reading experience of your kids.
- Read Aloud Together : Continue reading aloud to your child, even if they can read independently. It’s a wonderful way to bond and explore even the most complex stories together while giving them the confidence to conquer the world.
- Let Them Choose! The most important thing to instill the love of books is to let them choose the books they like. Encourage them to go for the books that genuinely interest them. It could be anything, as long as they want to read it.
- “Book Bingo”: Treat it as a game to make it interesting and keep your child hooked. Create a bingo card with different reading challenges like “Read a book with a blue cover,” “Read a book about a character you admire,” “Read a book to a family member,” “Read a book of a particular author,” etc. Offer a small reward for completing a row or the whole card!
- Summer Reading Journal: Encourage your child to keep a simple journal about the books they read. They can draw pictures of their favorite characters, write a sentence or two about what happened, or even give the book a star rating.
- Create a Reading Nook: Set up a reading spot with cushions and blankets. Ask your kid to help you decorate it. Reading outdoors can feel like a special treat!
Although these activities, if employed correctly, can play a positive role in influencing your child and developing look for books, It’s crucial to remember that every child learns at their own pace. If your child finds reading challenging, please go easy on them. Start with shorter books, picture books, or even just looking at the pictures and telling the story together. Focus on making it a positive and enjoyable experience. Celebrate small victories and build their confidence gradually. The goal is to foster a love for reading, not to create pressure.
Encourage your child to continue using the reading strategies we practiced in class:
- Sounding out words.
- Looking for picture and context clues.
- Breaking words into chunks.
- Retelling stories in their own words.
- Thinking about connections to their own life.
Summer break is a time for relaxation and fun, and reading can be a big part of that! By making it engaging and enjoyable, we can help our students return to school with their reading skills sharpened and their love for books even stronger.
Happy Summer Reading !