6 Ways to Avoid the Painful Summer Slide for your Kids
It’s not long to go now until the end of the school year and many of us are busy finalising the summer plans- camps, holidays and endless other activities (the lucky mini mes!). However, what can slip through the crack in between all these days off is a child’s reading- in fact, there’s even an official term for it- the dreaded Summer Slide.
Summer Slide refers to the decline in children's reading development that can occur during the summer holidays when they are not in school and not participating in formal literacy programmes (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 2003).
It all sounds rather ominous, but keeping the kids reading shouldn’t be a tough chore if we just incorporate it into part of our planning. What’s adding one item to a long list anyway!
Here are some reliable ways I get my children to read more:
1. Make reading part of your routine- if bedtime reading falls through due to jet lag, overtired kids, irregular nap times etc., make it a morning reading after breakfast perhaps to change it up. Kids love routines: incorporate reading into your days no matter where you are.
2. Let the children pick the books THEY want to read- there are countless times when I’ve thought to myself “again?” when the kids dig out the same favorite books. (Peppa Pig, Topsy & Tim, Curious George anyone?) Whilst it may not be that award winning picture book we picked, the fact that they want to read is a win in itself.
Repeated reading is a way that children’s brains process new information (source: Montessori) and we can support them by being progressively more interactive on subsequent reads once they know the stories well- try stopping to give short definitions of vocabulary terms or relating what’s happening in the books to their worlds.
3. Spend time reading with the kids- nothing can replace reading time with a parent. Oftentimes once a child can read we spend more time with the younger ones who need assistance. I’ve found marking out clear reading time for each child and also reading time as a family altogether effective (so 3 slots for us with the 2 children!). Also show them that YOU read- show them what Mum and Dad are reading on the plane!
4. Make use of the library- get a library card for each kid if they don’t already have one, at the minimum they would love to have another card with their name on it! My children love visiting the local library (Stanley for us) and are always SO happy to pick 8 books each to bring home. They even have their own library book bags and check the books out themselves (the beeping of the electronic check out machine is a bonus!).
Click here to find the closest public library to you in Hong Kong
https://www.hkpl.gov.hk/mobile/en/locations/libraries.html
We used to live quite far from a public library and subscribed to Bookswalas, a borrowing service that delivered to our door. It costs a bit more but worth it as our kids got into the habit and the books were always clean.
5. Spice it up with electronic readers, audiobooks or eBooks- we received an electronic Me reader that reads 8 books aloud as a present and it’s terrific! The interactive sound effects draw in both kids even though my son can already read himself. For younger ones sound books are wonderful.
As someone who’s very conscious of screen time for my children, I’ve turned somewhat of a convert on eBooks for travelling. I’m by no means buying an iPad for my son yet, but it’s great to have some awesome picture books loaded up on mine for reading together on trips. I much prefer cutting the TV time on the plane with reading some eBooks than having no reading at all. I can always buy the print version too if they find a favorite!
6. Buy some new books- if you are travelling, bring the kids to the local book store. They’ll be excited to explore local collections and to bring a book home with them- also a great way to introduce a new culture!
All that’s left for me to say is- happy reading and have an unforgettable summer!
Please get in touch with any favorite books that you’ve discovered, or if you have any other comments at all!