Summer is here, and that means your Kids Read Now books are arriving. Over the upcoming days and weeks, families enrolled in our summer reading program will start finding books in the mailbox.
Here's how to get the most from these books, and prevent the summer reading slide.
Start With the Mail
Most kids do not get mail. So when a package arrives addressed to them, it feels like a special moment.
Set the package aside for them to open. Read their name out loud. Make a little moment of it.
We've found that the excitement of picking out and opening their own books makes kids more eager to read them.
A Few Minutes Is Enough
Your kids don't need long reading sessions to get the benefits of reading. Reading together for even just 15 minutes counts. Even just a few minutes every day is much more effective than thirty minutes once a week.
Here are a few simple ways to read together:
Echo reading. You read a sentence out loud. Your child reads the same sentence back. Move through each page that way. It builds smooth, confident reading without pressure.
Read it again. Reading the same story two or three times is not a waste. Kids get better with each pass. Once they know the words, they can focus on reading with expression. Give them a reason to reread, like "this time, read it like it's a secret."
Use the questions. Every book in the program comes with discovery questions and activities built in. Ask one question per reading session. Simple prompts work too, like "tell me about this character" or "how would you change the ending?"
We're not aiming for perfect reading, but rather to read in a way that sounds like natural talking.
This works for any book.
If your school isn't enrolled in Kids Read Now this summer, you can still use these same strategies with hand-me-downs, a book from the local store, or one from the library.
You can even get creative. Read the cereal box at breakfast or the road signs in the car. During screen time, turn on the captions and read along.
Studies have shown over and over again that early childhood literacy directly drives higher academic scores, better access to education, and successful careers.
Look Ahead to the Fall
A little planning now pays off when school starts again.
Ask your kids to keep a simple list of the books they read this summer. It could be as easy as collecting each book on a shelf as they read it. Or, it could be a note on the fridge. When they head back to school, have them bring the list with them to show their teacher.
As they read this summer, encourage them to share. Which book is their favorite so far? What was it about? A child who can talk about a book they loved walks into the new year proud of what they did, and that confidence carries into the classroom.
Teachers, this is where you come in too. A quick prompt in the first week, asking students to share a summer book, tells every child that their reading mattered. It also gives you an early read on where each student is starting.
One More Thing
If your family is not part of the program and you would like to be, ask your child's school about Kids Read Now. We work with schools across the country to put books kids choose into their hands at home, where reading habits are built.
For now, watch the mailbox. The books are coming. A few minutes a day is all it takes to turn them into a summer of reading.