Four Ways to Make Summer Reading Goals A Reality

Summertime, with its relaxed routine, family vacations, and travel, can seem like the perfect opportunity to rededicate yourself to reading with your child. However, the summer slide is no myth! All the things that make summer such a great time to read can also make it challenging to establish and maintain any sort of routine. Longer days lead to later bedtimes, and the schedule at home usually goes right out the window when everyone is on vacation. So, make those summer reading goals realistic by getting creative and incorporating reading into your family's schedule. Here are four tips for making your summer reading goals a reality.

Create A Summer Reading Nook

Give your usual reading spot a home makeover! Team up with your child for a fun project to create a special summer reading place together. It might be as simple as a cool and quiet corner with a cozy chair and some good light to read by or as elaborate as a decked-out reading fort. The goal is to get your child invested, involved, and excited to spend some time reading this summer.  

Rethink Story Time

During the school year, bedtime might be the optimal time to read together, but that doesn’t always work in the summer, when lights out can be unpredictable and a few days at the beach leaves the whole family wiped out at night. Before dinner or first thing in the morning might be the most predictable part of your day in the summer to carve out some reading time, so don’t be afraid to mix up the routine. 

Share a Story that You Love

When you are excited to read with your child, they know it, making the experience richer for both of you. Summer is a great time to introduce your child to a book that you loved as a child. Think about a book that captured your imagination as a child and share it.

Listen To a Story Together

Storytime doesn’t have to involve a book. Listening to a book together through an app like Audible or Libby is an excellent way to build storytime into a busy day. Listen to a chapter when you are in the car or during bath time. Then, just as you would when reading a book, take time to discuss the story. Ask your child about the action, the characters, or to predict what’s going to happen next. It’s a great way to build listening comprehension and literacy skills while enjoying a book together.