Summer Reading Programs
Summer is filled with long days, fireflies and lemonade stands. It’s also filled with many free summer reading programs that encourage children to explore new worlds, find new stories and think new thoughts.
Children who don’t read during the summer lose an average of two months worth of reading skills. By the time these non-readers get to middle school, they may have lost up to two years worth of reading skills!
Here are variety of free and fun reading programs to encourage and support your child’s reading habits:
- Your public library. Summer reading programs vary; however, children can often earn prizes by reading or listening to stories. Libraries offer story times, performers and special opportunities throughout the summer to encourage children to visit the library and read. They often have summer reading programs for adults too!
- Independent book stores. Local booksellers often bring in authors, host pajama nights, and hold game nights for children all year round. Visit Indiebound to find an independent book store near you.
- Book It! is a program sponsored by Pizza Hut for students in grades K-6. Children can earn awesome prizes..
- Barnes and Noble’s Destination Imagination summer reading program encourages children in grades 1-6 to read books and record their opinions about them in a downloadable reading journal. Children can choose from a variety of titles within the bookstore upon completion.
- Feed Your Brain this summer with the summer reading program at Half Price Books. This program runs June 1 – July 31. Students 14 and under will need to read or listen to 15 minutes a day, log their time, and turn in their journals after reading 300 minutes. High school students will need to read and review a book in both June and July to participate. Readers are rewarded with Bookworm Bucks, which can be used in the store to purchase books!
Fill your child’s summer with fun memories that include traveling new places, meeting new people, and learning new things through summer reading programs!
Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks with offices in Oconomowoc and Waukesha. SpeechWorks helps Lake Country children become confident communicators and empowers parents to be their child’s speech-language advocate. Reach her at 262-490-5653.