With the school year coming to a close, we often find ourselves asking: "How can I ensure that my students will continue to read over the summer?" Here are some suggestions.
- Look for ways that books can be provided to children during the summer. For example, you might work with the public library to have a public library/parent night to make sure families have library cards and are aware of services.
- Do email blasts weekly across the summer reminding parents to read to and with their children. Offer book recommendations and reviews or reminders of book-centered activities at local bookstores.
- Take turns among staff holding a summer book club. Children will love seeing their friends and favorite teachers to talk about books!
- Schedule “meet up at the library” days during the summer with parents and children. Students will love to see their parents check out books for themselves and they will notice that they are readers as well.
What we dream of is for students to burst back into the classroom in the fall talking about their favorite books they read over the summer. We need to make it easy for them to find the right books that will make that happen. When we have really hooked students as readers and writers, they don’t stop reading and writing just because the school year ends.