How reading can help prevent the summer slide

Summer vacation gives your child a much-needed break from school routines, which is important. But, at the same time, it can also result in what educators call the summer slide or "brain drain" — a learning gap that opens when kids spend long periods away from the classroom. Not only can reading be a fun leisure activity, it can keep your child's skills sharp during summer break. Research shows that spending time with a favorite book builds brain pathways that are essential for language, social skills and emotional well-being.

Summer learning and various academic camps can help, but many kids don't have access to these choices. Parents might also very reasonably worry about overscheduling their kids, which studies have linked with anxiety, forgetfulness, sleep troubles and more.

Here are a few ways you can encourage summer reading while keeping the focus on fun and discovery. Get kids their own public library card. Most library systems are happy to issue cards to kids under 18, including young children, with a parent or guardian's signature and proof of address. Having their own card makes visiting the library even more fun. At home, set up a "library table" or other designated spot for books to return.

Pair books with travel. If your family is heading to another part of the country or world this summer, look for books that feature your destination. Kid-friendly travel guides and scavenger hunts can add fun to your trip. Fiction with characters from the places you will visit can literally bring locations to life.

Explore new bookstores. Consider making a trip to bookshops you've never visited before. Kids might enjoy vintage books or magazines from a used book outlet. Or, they might like selections from a store that focuses on a specific genre (think mysteries or art books). Connect summer reading to real-life adventures. Does your child love to read about dinosaurs? Your local museum might have exhibits they would enjoy, too. Pair reading with trips to the zoo, planetarium, county or state fair, or natural outdoor settings like forests, lakes and seashores.

Read out loud. Sharing a story can turn long car trips into adventures. But it's just as fun on rainy days or summer evenings outside. Encourage your child to read aloud to you. Or, read them a story that's just beyond their current reading level; this can help them build new vocabulary. Tween and teen readers may like to discuss a book's plot, characters and theme after sharing it with the group. Don't discount audiobooks. For some children, decoding text—sounding out printed words as speech—may be a struggle. When reading for fun, listening to an audiobook isn't "cheating." It can offer the same vocabulary, story structure and comprehension practice as reading print, but with a break from decoding hard words. This can help them stay engaged with books and continue learning over the summer. Audiobooks can also be great for long roadtrips if your child gets motion sickness.

Approach summer reading as recreation—not a race. If your young bookworm chooses to read 50 books before the first day of school, that's wonderful! But even kids who consume only a handful of new titles will benefit, so consider letting them set their own summer reading pace. Summer should be about reading for pleasure. This is a chance to discover that reading can be a journey into new worlds and fresh possibilities.

While any format of book is better than no book, stick with print rather than e-books if possible. Reading on a digital screen may tempt your child to engage with something other than reading. Libraries often have summer reading lists organised by age and grade level that will capture your child's imagination. Story circles for little ones and reading clubs for tweens and teens can open doors too.

Don't hesitate to ask the librarians for book suggestions. They can recommend high-quality, appropriate-level books on just about any topic (and if they don’t have it there, they can get it via interlibrary loan). You can even bring them a book your child loves and ask for "more like this please." Not only are you not bothering them when you ask, they want to help you!

When you're browsing local bookstores, look for "shelf talkers"—small cards perched next to books that offer a glimpse inside, often with staff ratings and reviews. Other places to find books to get kids interested in reading over the summer include neighborhood or friend group book exchanges, perusing Little Free Libraries, and "recommended reading" book lists on HealthyChildren.org and Reach out and Read, a nonprofit that works with pediatricians and families to make shared reading a part of daily routines.

Tribune News Service