How Can You Get Your Kids Reading This Summer? Let Them Choose The Books

By Gary Huggins, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association, and Dr. Rick Bavaria, senior vice president of education outreach for Sylvan Learning.

After that last dismissal bell of the school year sounds, many children don't pick up a book all summer.

The reason? Summer is supposed to be fun, and most kids don't put reading high on their list of fun summer activities. In fact, according to a new Harris survey on summer reading commissioned by Sylvan Learning, less than half of American youth ages 8 to 18 identify reading as a favorite summer activity.

The most popular summer activity among boys? You've probably already guessed. According to the survey, it's playing video games. Reading books trails at 6th as a favorite summer activity overall among boys. Only one in three boys rank reading as the No. 1 favorite.

The picture is a bit brighter for girls, who are almost twice as likely as boys to report that their favorite summer pastime is reading books. They rank it 3rd on their list.

Still—overall—summer reading is less popular than watching movies or TV, playing video games, playing outside with friends or going to the pool.

But research shows that summer reading is important to continued academic success, because without it, learning is lost over the summer months. In a recent survey of 500 teachers conducted by the National Summer Learning Association, 66 percent of teachers said it takes them at least 3-4 weeks to re-teach the previous year’s skills at the beginning of a new school year—and 24 percent said it takes 5 weeks or more.

But summer does not have to be a learning vacuum. The Sylvan survey cited above also revealed that the vast majority of youths – 94 percent – report that they like reading when they can choose the books themselves.

Bottom line: When kids choose books that match their interests and reading ability, reading becomes a fun activity—even in summer.

The National Summer Learning Association and Sylvan Learning have come up with some simple tips to help parents make reading one of the fun activities their kids pursue this summer.

• Browse your community library: Because students of all ages agree that they like reading books they choose themselves, visit your library with your child and show them how to locate the books that they want to read.
• Combine other favorite activities with reading: Overall, reading ranks fifth on the list of children's favorite summer activities, so try combining it with other more popular ones. Do you drive your children to the pool on a regular basis? Make a stop at the library a regular part of your pool routine and check out a book, either for poolside reading or to unwind with after a day of physical activity.
• Negotiate a reward: Put a value on reading by rewarding it. Work with your child to create a reading goal, for example, reading for a certain length of time every day or reading a certain number of books. Let them choose the books and the reward so they can "earn and learn.”
• Consider an e-book reader. Children love devices. With many e-book readers now available at well under $100 or on loan from the library, and e-books available at prices comparable or less than hard-copy books, it’s becoming easier to access the technology that today's tech-savvy youth prefer. And, thousands of e-books either can be downloaded free or "borrowed" at no charge from local libraries.
• Use movie-book tie-ins: There are book versions of blockbusters, TV programs and cartoon characters. Show children how they can enjoy their favorite on-screen stories by reading as well as watching. For additional summer learning resources please visit the National Summer Learning Association’s Resources for Families and Sylvan Learning’s recommended summer reading list,“Mom Minded!” blog and Book Adventure website.