Summer holidays mean freedom and fun, and for many in the UAE and hotter countries—staying indoors a lot! For parents who would like their children to read more, whether it’s to prevent summer brain drain or something else, it can be a challenge to make it happen, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Here, we will explore how parents can encourage reading and learning during the summer break in a way that is fun and easy to access.
Whether you want to host a kids summer reading challenge to help with encouraging reluctant readers, or you want to try out some fun reading activities for families, getting your kids to read over the summer has so many benefits.
Why Does Summer Reading Matter for Children’s Learning?
Summer reading matters to children’s learning in a number of ways—not only does it increase vocabulary and concentration, but it is also crucial for improving critical thinking and enhancing cognitive development. It is fantastic for fostering emotional intelligence and empathy, creativity, imagination, and is overall an incredible tool for learning. Studies have also shown that reading also helps children to interact with the world around them and facilitate interactions between children and adults, among other things.
Reading for pleasure has a positive impact on mental wellbeing, too! So, since reading is so beneficial to children, teens, and adults alike, and we all know how difficult it can be to get some kids started on reading, what can you do to help? How parents can encourage reading during the summer break could come in many different forms, and all kids will react differently, so remember to take your time, and find something that works for you and your household.
How Can Parents Make Reading Fun at Home?
Reading can be fun wherever you go, but in the heat of summer, staying indoors could be crucial. The good news is, reading itself is fun, but it can take some work to get your children started with it. To make reading as fun as possible, you need to give your child options and let them choose what they want to read (age-appropriate), visit libraries or bookshops, and read to your children out loud!
Make Sure Your Child Can Choose
Everyone should have some control over their lives, and a child being able to choose which books they want to read goes a long way in making reading more fun, and making them more excited about it. Pick out a selection of books that are age-appropriate for them, and allow them to choose from there. Guide them to make a decision, and you might be surprised how much they will read.
Visit the Library and Make it an Outing
Going to the library to take out a book can be a fun outing that encourages reading and builds excitement. The thrill of looking for books and taking them out is a whole adventure that children love, so take the time to explain how things work, and allow them to appreciate it. There is nothing like picking a book out of the library to get a child excited to tear through the pages (metaphorically).
Read to Your Children Out Loud
Another great way of making reading fun at home is to read out-loud to your children. This can be done indoors or outdoors, and can be fun and relaxing. An exercise like this allows children to hear what different words sound like out-loud, learn about cadence, expression, and more. Reading books with lots of new (age appropriate) words is exciting, too, so expect lots of questions!
What Are Some Creative Ways to Build Daily Reading Habits?
There are some creative ways to build daily reading habits if you want your children to get into reading and enjoy it. One of the best things you can do with your children is join a book or reading club, but always carrying reading material with you and remembering that there is reading material all around you goes a long way to building this crucial habit.
Knowing how parents can encourage reading during the summer break isn’t easy, and it’s important to start small in whatever you do. If you can, incorporating different kinds of arts and socialising factors into reading can help to form habits, but remember that you need to be a helping hand in the process.
Always Carry Some Books With You
To build daily reading habits wherever you go, it will be helpful to always have a book or some kind of reading material with you. You could pack this yourself in a handbag (be sure to keep it small!), or you can encourage your children to keep a book in a bag or backpack that they like to carry around.
Getting into the habit of doing this, you will never have to worry about not having something to read to help build daily reading habits. Just remember to switch books if they finish one and need something new and exciting to keep their brains occupied and learning!
Join a Book or Reading Club
Reading and book clubs are a great way to meet new people (this goes for parents and children alike), be creative, and read something fun. Different book clubs might work differently, but finding a club where children can read together could be a good way of building up reading habits while also honing in on those concentration and socialisation skills.
It Doesn’t Always Have to Be a Book
Look around you, you can read lots of things! Books are fantastic, but they are not always around when you need them. Once you stop focusing on books alone, and realise that there is reading material all around you, you can help to make reading a habit for anyone—just think of Anne reading the fire safety manual in the orphanage in Anne With an E when there were no books around!
Wherever you are, there will be titles, leaflets, signs, names, and so much more to read, that you can create a habit of paying attention and making sense of all those letters. Encourage your little ones to read everything they can (so long as it is appropriate), and you might be surprised by how quickly reading will become a habit, and getting their hands on a book will be bliss!
The Role of Summer Reading Challenges and Rewards
Summer reading challenges and rewards can spark excitement in readers, and ‘gamify’ reading as a hobby. Rewards like certificates, stickers, and even medals can serve as a reminder that they have actually achieved something and give them more motivation to continue. Finding appropriate ways to boost self-esteem and creativity is key, but remember to be fair, be encouraging, and make sure that everyone is having fun.
Some quick tips that will help to encourage reading include:
- Create a flexible routine
- Set attainable reading goals
- Make reading fun
- Get them excited about reading
- Be mindful of likes and dislikes
- Be a reading role model!
How The Brain Workshop Helps Support Lifelong Learning
Knowing how to keep children reading in summer is great for preventing summer learning loss in a fun and useful way. With so many books for summer holidays, it’s important to keep options open and make sure that reading stays fun. Encouraging reading habits for children is so beneficial to their cognitive and emotional development, and we want every child to excel in what they do.
Now that you know how parents can encourage reading during the summer break, what books are you going to put on the reading list this year?
Support your child’s learning beyond the classroom — explore programmes at The Brain Workshop Dubai, designed to strengthen development, focus, comprehension, and a love for learning. Learn more about us at The Brain Workshop, meet our team, check our events, or even read our FAQ.
