Good Afternoon,
As we head into the sunny days of summer, we want to celebrate all the incredible growth your child has made as a reader this year! They have worked hard, and you have been right there supporting them.
While summer is absolutely a time for playing outside, relaxing, and recharging, it’s also a crucial time to keep that reading momentum going.
You might have heard of the "summer slide"—the tendency for students to lose a bit of their reading progress over the break. It turns out that just a small, regular dose of reading makes a massive difference:
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Beating the Slide: Research shows that reading just 4 to 6 books over the summer can prevent a child’s reading skills from slipping backward before school starts again in the fall.
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The 20-Minute Magic Number: Reading for just 20 minutes a day exposes children to nearly 2 million words a year, drastically expanding their vocabulary and making every subject in school easier to tackle.
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Building a Lifelong Habit: When kids read during the summer, they realize that reading isn't just a "school thing"—it’s an "anytime thing" that can be done for pure enjoyment.
We don’t want summer reading to feel like a chore or a battle. Here are a few ways to keep it light and joyful:
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Let them choose: Comic books, graphic novels, audiobooks, cookbooks, and magazines all count! If they are interested in the topic, they will want to read it.
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Read together: Snuggling up to read a bedtime story or taking turns reading paragraphs of a longer book is still incredibly valuable, even for older elementary kids.
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Make it a routine: Tie reading to a relaxing part of the day, like right after lunch to cool down, or right before bed.
Thank you for your continued partnership. We hope you and your child have a wonderful summer filled with great adventures, both outdoors and inside the pages of a favorite book!
Happy reading,
Mr. Conant
