Creating a Summer Reading Challenge for Your Child

When summer break comes around, your child’s focus may shift as far away from learning as possible. After a challenging school year, your child is ready to rest. While your child needs time to recuperate, they also need encouragement to keep learning. One great way to prevent the summer slide, where children forget what they’ve learned during the break, is by making summer reading fun. Read on for tips on setting up a summer reading challenge. 

Setting Up the Challenge

Start by choosing age-appropriate books for your child. If their school sent you a summer reading list, start there, and build on it if you want to extend the challenge. Next, set the duration and goals of the challenge. Once you’ve decided which books to include and what goals to set, create a tracking system to monitor progress. A calendar on the refrigerator or in another place you and your child will see every day can be a great way to help them stay motivated.  

Incentives and Rewards

Think of small rewards your child will enjoy as they make small accomplishments, like reading a single book. Stickers, pencils, and other trinkets can get momentum going, while prizes like certificates can mark milestones. Consider allowing your child to choose a family outing if they read a certain number of books, or end the summer with a party celebrating their accomplishments in the reading challenge. All kinds of rewards can keep your child reading throughout the summer. 

Incorporating Fun Activities

Formulating fun activities that relate to the reading challenge involves some creativity. Look at the books on the reading list and see if you can find some central themes. Plan activities related to those themes. For example, if the books relate to nature, plan a nature day. If they’re historical books, plan a trip to a local museum or a relevant historical site. This will make the books more relatable and make the challenge more rewarding for your child. 

Keeping the Momentum Going

As long as you stay consistent with tracking and rewards, keeping your child on track with their summer reading challenge should be a cinch. The next challenge is keeping your child reading when they’re not receiving rewards every step of the way. Fortunately, once the momentum picks up, it typically continues. Keep giving your child positive reinforcement when you see them reading in their spare time, and consider setting aside family reading time during the school year so they don’t lose that motivation. 

At our Titusville private school, we know that reading is integral to every area of learning, which is why we want children to keep reading over the summer. With over 57 years of academic excellence, St. Teresa Catholic School provides a quality education that goes from PreK-3 through 8th grade. To learn more about why St. Teresa is the perfect fit for you and your student, contact us today.