Summer Reading Regression

November 29 2015

The school summer holidays are here. Summer reading ideas to help your child maintain their reading.

What you will learn:

Why reading deteriorates through the summer holidays
Key strategies to maintain reading progress this summer

Summer Reading Regression

It is well known that children’s reading regresses through the summer holidays. Like any skill if we don’t use it we lose it. For most children, after a few weeks back at school they pick up again but for some the regression through the summer holidays takes a long time to regain.

How can you reduce summer reading regression?

There are 2 simple things you can do during the summer holidays to help your child with reading.

1. Talk – Many children struggle to progress with their reading once they have mastered decoding the words as they do not have the vocabulary to understand more advanced texts. Spend time talking, in detail, about every day events. When your child uses the word “thing” talk with them to give them the correct vocabulary, how to say it and what it means.

2. Read. This needs to happen in 3 ways.

Read to self – your child should spend some time reading books of their choice to themselves
Read to someone – reading aloud to a more proficient reader provides opportunity to develop fluency. By reading words aloud, there is opportunity to learn how to pronounce new words and explore new themes and vocabulary
Listen to reading – there is huge value in reading to children of all ages, not just young children. Again, this helps develop language and vocabulary

These 3 reading strategies are all equally as important when helping your child with their summer reading.