Summer reading

Building time to read into the busy summer activity schedule is super important because research shows there are so many benefits to reading that go beyond simply maintaining the pre-summer level of reading fluency.

A recent study commissioned for the National year of Reading found that more than four in five children (84%) say reading helps them learn new words for feelings and emotions, helping them to build their vocabulary and express themselves more effectively. Reading helps children develop emotional intelligence, helps children develop their ability to understand different perspectives and more easily accounts for why people act the way that they do which in turn helps to foster empathy. Research from the University of Cambridge highlights that reading for pleasure in early childhood is linked to better cognitive performance and emotional wellbeing in adolescence. 

The evidence is clear that reading is one of the best ways for children to spend their time but getting them to enjoy it isn’t always easy especially during the summer when they may not want to engage in an activity that feels like school work. Here are some strategies that can help. 

Firstly it is important to let children choose what they want to read. The aim is for them to enjoy reading so it is essential that they are able to decide what they read in terms of both content and style. Re-reading favourite books builds fluency, confidence, and comfort. Many adults return to their favourite books, and children do the same for good reasons. I still love the Little House and Narnia books I loved as a child and remember that the more I read them, the deeper I thought about the characters and plot. I clearly remember recognising the parallels between Aslan and Jesus in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and starting to think about the perspectives of the indigenous people who were displaced as Laura and her family travelled West in Little House on the Prairie. If children want to keep re-reading the same books, encourage them to do so and don’t think of re-reading as being less valuable than reading new texts. Picture books and graphic novels for older children are also a fabulous choice as they help develop comprehension skills, inspire creativity and encourage processing skills and attention to detail. Books do not have to be crammed with complicated vocabulary to be worth reading.

Secondly, embrace the idea that reading is an exciting experience! Plan weekly fun trips to the library to choose books, visit local book shops to get excited about new releases and old classics and look for cheap new to you books second hand on marketplace or vinted. Take the time to stop and read yourself too. If you are reading a story with a smaller child don’t just read the words but try to bring the story to life by using different voices for characters and encouraging your child to act out scenes or predict what happens next. Ask questions about the story to make it a conversation and remember the saying - ‘more is caught than taught’.  Reading a novel, newspaper, recipe, manual, or magazine yourself shows that reading is part of real life, not just a school task. If you want your child to choose reading as an activity over gaming or social media scrolling then you should also try to demonstrate this to them through your actions by visibly reading and sharing what you have read about with older children.

Thirdly, make reading more accessible for children of all ages. Keep books in places where children spend time.  A basket of picture books in the living room and a book in the car works for younger children and a few comics near the breakfast table, or a library bag by the door can make reading more likely. If you are heading out, encourage children to take a book with them rather than a device they will watch. You could also link reading to something that already happens using the strategy of pairing. After lunch, before bed, after swimming, or during a quiet hour on hot afternoons can all work. 

Encouraging reading is about making it enjoyable, relevant, and consistent. Every child is different, so experiment with these ideas and see what sparks their curiosity. With patience and creativity, you can help your child discover the joy of books and help them develop more than just their reading fluency.