This summer take a break from brushing your teeth.

What?

This is ridiculous right? Would you ever allow your child the option to choose if they wanted to brush their teeth instead of helping them with this hygienic necessity twice or more daily? Your local dentist might appreciate your frequent visits :)!

Similarly, many children spend 2 months out of 12 breaking from a necessity just as important as brushing their teeth. Our brains, just like our teeth, need attention to thrive. Reading is left behind as summer begins for many children. While some children join book clubs many children spend their summers without books.

What can you do to encourage reading over the summer and beyond?

1. Have books around and visible over the summer.

• Go to the local library and select a variety of books which offer choice, challenge, control, and collaboration for your child. These are all important variables to motivate and encourage your child to be lifelong readers.
• Have books in your home. According to 20 years of research, just having books in one‘s home leads to children reading more and being more academically successful.

2. Make reading a daily routine.

• We eat fruits and vegetables to be healthy. Make reading a daily routine/expectation in your home. Habits stick!
• Parent involvement in reading leads to academic success. The number one indicator of academic achievement is parent involvement. Your reading influence will make a difference.

3. Read

• Share what you read with your family both through daily/weekly discussion and reading aloud time.
• Model what you preach. No child is too old to love you reading to them.

4. Find a book fair

• Summer book fairs offer a wide selection of new and old books as well as provide literary entertainment.
• Chicago’s Printer Row Book fair is always a treat if in the area.

How are you helping your child or students avoid summer learning loss? We want to hear! Together we can change summer learning loss.