Are you familiar with the “Summer Slide?” According to Richard Allington, American scholar and researcher at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, “learning or reading skill losses during the summer months are cumulative, creating a wider gap each year between more proficient and less proficient students. By the time a struggling reader reaches middle school, summer reading loss has accumulated to a two– year lag in reading achievement.” (Ameliorating summer reading setback among economically disadvantaged elementary students, Richard Allington, April 2007.)
You can combat the summer slide by encouraging your young readers to pick up their books throughout the summer months! Reading doesn’t have to be drudgery. Start by selecting fun and engaging books that you can read together, especially for your less independent readers. Then, set goals and rewards for reading to create a fun challenge and incentivize your kids to get through their books. One fun way to create a reading challenge is with a sticker chart. Download these free sticker charts and get started! There are three different challenges – 10, 20, or 50 books. Click the thumbnail image for the challenge that fits your goal to download and print. For fun, faith-based stickers click HERE.
*If images are not displaying, click HERE to download reading charts*
