Is your child gaining or losing ground this summer in reading?  According to RIF (Reading Is Fundamental), children who don’t read during the summer lose two months of reading achievement.  That’s why teachers have to spend so much time each fall reviewing the previous year’s studies.  All it takes to stop this slide in reading sharpness is, well, READING!

Summer reading can be lots of fun.  Here are some suggestions.

• Read with your child.  Take turns reading aloud to each other. If you have older children and teens, let them suggest one of their favorite books for you to read.  Then discuss it over lunch or after supper.
• Show how reading can make things more interesting.  With small children, teach them to read road and store signs.  Write a note or make a greeting card.  For older children, plan a trip, even if it’s just to the mall, with a map.  As you’re driving, your child can follow along the route.  Go online together and read about your destination.  (Check out other summer reading ideas from RIF.)
• Always pack a book—for trips to the pool, grandma’s, the doctor’s office.
• Plan regular visits to the library—it’s free.  They have great events, and your children can learn the joy of picking out their own books.  Here are the lists of summer activities at Scott County and Lexington Public Libraries.

So, when your children tell you they’re bored this summer, help them find a good book and open up a world of learning and adventure.  And be happy that you’re also keeping them on track for going back to school.

portrait of Queen Dr. Riebel and self-portrait of Princess Ava, age 5

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