5 Easy Tips for Parents to Prevent Summer Reading Loss (Early Elementary)

It is a fact that there is an academic summer loss. Unless parents are diligent about maintaining certain skills, your child will most likely forget some of what was taught. What you can do is pretty easy, it simply takes some prep time and the time to follow through with them, but for the sake of your child's learning, it is well worth it. Here are some tips in regards to reading over the summer:

1. Read more. There really is only one "secret" strategy in existence to increase reading abilities and this is it. Every book I've read, every reading class I've taken, this one piece always rears it's ugly head: How do we make more time to read? What you do need to make sure when implementing this strategy is that whatever they're reading is not so far above their reading level that their struggle overwhelms them. I stick to the hand rule: if there are five or more words on one page that they do not know, it's most likely too difficult.

2. Make reading memorable. Here's an idea: plan a reading picnic where you gather their favorite drink and snacks, some books, a blanket, find a beautiful spot and your plan is to simply read together for an hour. 

3. If you allow some screen time, make it worthwhile by downloading the "Teach Your Monster to Read" educational app. They begin by creating their own little monster who goes on all these adventures to find missing letters, read phrases to solve a problem for random kingdoms and earn these rewards to dress their monster up in everything from fairy wings to hats. My reader loves it (but she did want you to know she doesn't like the trickies, these weird little pocket monsters, haha she finds them irritating).

3. Get involved. For example, Barnes and Noble has a reading program for grades 1-6 where they earn a FREE book after reading eight and for keeping a reading journal. I've even read that Chuck-E. Cheese offers free tokens for reading books. If you are like me who lives forty-five minutes from the nearest BN or Chuck's, then head to your local library. For a small community, we have a group of librarians who do an excellent job providing services for our young readers. If your local library is a flop, then I know that Sylvan, Reading Warehouse, and Scholastic offer prizes online for minutes read and recorded.

4. Build their "bedroom library" with new books. Studies have proven that providing a child with their own books in their own bedroom increases reading as much or more than summer school. Build your child's library with two or three new books for them to read over the summer (and make sure you pick something that would interest them and within their level).

5. Reward them with more reading material when they've reached their goal (or whatever marker you've set in place). Example: Earn a magazine subscription (i.e. National Geographic offers wonderful magazine's for kids), because getting things in the mail is so fun. Or go out with your child one-on-one (cause you know they need it), go out to eat or grab an ice cream and head to a book store and let them pick a book of choice.

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Or join me on my Facebook page for a FREE reading program designed to hit those early elementary years. Here's what I'll offer: 

• 4 FREE themed FACEBOOK LIVE reading "events" on my Facebook page specifically designed to give comprehension tools. Offered on:
• July 1, 8, 15, & 22 (Follow the event on my Facebook page for more details.)
• Supplementary materials, readily available for download that coincide with that lesson.
• Entered into a giveaway for your child by signing up (a goodie box full of reading material based on the information you gave me on the registration form). 
• BONUS: Multiple entries for every friend you tag on my Instagram or Facebook page.

The registration form is available by clicking on this link.