Summer Reading Programs

As the end of the school year rapidly approaches, visions of lazy, summer days fill the minds of youngsters across the country.  But it’s important that children don’t forget everything they’ve learned during the school year.  One way to keep those academic skills sharp is by joining a summer reading program.  Summer reading programs are both educational and fun, and they’re easy to join.  Many public libraries and local bookstores offer programs for school-aged children.  Below, you will find ways your child can benefit by joining a program in your area.

Encourages Your Child to Read
As the school bell rings for the final time signaling not only the end of the day but also the end of the year, it is probably safe to assume your child is more focused on summer camps and swimming pools than they are on reading during their two months of freedom.  But summer reading programs help encourage your child to read by providing incentives for joining and reading a certain number of books.  Many programs offer free giveaways to children when they sign up, and they offer additional prizes for participants who continue in the program throughout the summer.

Improves Vocabulary
Reading helps children improve their vocabulary.  Both children and adults tend to use the same words over and over each day.  As a result, your child may not be learning many new words on a regular basis.  But reading exposes your child to different words with every turn of the page, giving them an opportunity to learn the meaning of words they don’t use or hear on a regular basis.  Plus it gives them a chance to enhance their critical thinking skills by using context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Improves Reading Comprehension Skills
Everyone knows that practice makes perfect, and the same is true when it comes to reading.  The more you read, the more you are able to fine-tune your reading comprehension skills. Not only will this make reading more enjoyable for your child, it will also help them improve their performance in school.  Reading comprehension skills are critical for students to successfully complete a variety of academic activities, including homework assignments, reading and understanding test instructions and questions and much more.

Parents Stay Involved
Chances are your child isn’t the only one with a busy summer schedule.  Parents are every bit as busy as their kids, and without homework assignments to complete and tests to prepare for, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of reading.  But summer reading programs make it easy for parents to stay involved in the learning process.  These programs encourage parents to read to their younger children every day, while parents of older children can select a book with their child and discuss it after they have both finished reading it.  Furthermore, many reading programs offer activity kits that provide fun activities parents can use to discuss the books with their children.