Avoid the Summer Slump

Summer is just around the corner, so I wanted to warn you about the "Summer Slump" a.k.a "Summer Slide."  Research shows that students who do not maintain their reading skills over summer have a difficult time in the fall.  Your student has made tremendous progress this year, and we want them to retain their skills so they can have a great start to first grade.

Of course, summer is and should be a fun and exciting time for children.  However, reading and fun goes hand in hand.  Here are some tips for making reading a fun activity for your child over the summer:

1.  Treat your child to their own library card and make weekly trips to the library.  Maybe couple the trip with a visit to the ice cream parlor for a fun routine.  Getting a library card is free and easy.  Click here to sign up for a card at the Santa Clara Library.

2. Set up a tent in your backyard for a fun reading place.  One of my fondest childhood memories was hanging out in our backyard tent with a flashlight on summer evenings, while my parents read to my sister and me.

3. Visit a story hour or meet an author at your local library or bookstore.  Independently owned Hicklebee's Bookstore in Willow Glenn regularly has famous authors come to visit.

4. Sign your child up for a summer reading incentive program.  Just ask your Santa Clara librarian about the Summer Reading Club.

5. Encourage your child to read the books that went home in homework over the year.

6. Help your child find books that interest him/her.  Click here for a group of book lists.

7. Treat books as a portal for discovery.  Next time your child asks a question like, "Why is the sky blue?"  Respond with, "Let's go find out more by reading a book!"


See the research of "Summer Slump" and more great tips at Read To Me International.