You already know summer reading matters. The question is how to make it happen without adding to everything else on your plate.
The good news is that the right program handles most of it for you.
Start Before Spring Gets Busy
Most school funding decisions happen in the spring. Title I allocations, other federal sources and grant applications often have deadlines between March and June.
If summer reading is on your radar early, you can build it into those conversations. If you wait until the end of the year, you are working with whatever is left.
A little planning now is easier than scrambling later.
What Actually Works
You have probably tried summer reading before. Book lists, library partnerships, reading logs. For most schools, these efforts do not move the needle.
The difference comes down to two things. Access and follow-through.
Programs that work get books into homes, not just into backpacks. They let kids choose titles they actually want to read. And they support families throughout the summer with simple tools like text reminders and reading activities in multiple languages.
When books show up at the door every week or two, kids read them. When parents get support in their own language, they stay involved.
The Teacher Question
You might be wondering what this adds to your teachers' plates.
Very little, if anything.
The right program handles enrollment automatically from your student information system. Books ship directly to homes. Families get support through an app and text messages. Teachers are not managing anything over the summer.
When students return in the fall with books they have read and certificates to show for it, you celebrate together. That is the main lift.
Making the Budget Case
Summer reading programs like Kids Read Now are eligible for Title I, IDEA, and other federal funding sources. The cost is roughly 3% of what summer school costs, with similar effectiveness.
If you need help making the case to your district office, we have a funding guide and can provide talking points for those conversations.
Does It Work?
Independent studies from schools in Michigan and Ohio found that students who completed the program gained the equivalent of three or more months of reading growth. The strongest results showed up for early grades and students from low-income families.
One principal said it well.
We attribute the fact that 97% of our returning 3rd-5th grade readers maintained or grew their skills over the summer break to their participation in the Kids Read Now program.
A Small Step Now
You do not have to solve summer reading today. But a short conversation now can save time later and help you make a thoughtful decision before the year gets away from you.
We are happy to help you think it through.
