Summer is the perfect time for young readers to grow their skills in a fun and relaxed way. But with vacations, camps, and endless activities, it can be hard to find time for summer reading! Don’t worry—supporting your child’s reading this summer doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are 10 easy (and fun!) tips for parents of young children.
Summer Reading Tips for Parents
1. Make a Summer Reading Basket
Create a small basket with a variety of books—picture books, early readers, graphic novels, even magazines! Keep it somewhere your child can easily reach and let them pick what to read. Fresh choices = more reading!
2. Visit the Library Every Week
Libraries often have free summer reading programs with prizes and activities. Set a weekly library date to pick out new books and join any fun events they’re hosting. Most libraries invite guest readers, musicians, and other performs in for special events students love. Our library even offers movies in the afternoons.
3. Read Aloud Together
Even if your child can read independently, reading aloud to them helps build vocabulary and comprehension. Pick a chapter book or a few picture books and make it part of your evening routine.
4. Try “Reading Picnics”
Grab a blanket, pack a few snacks, and head outside with some books. Reading outside makes it feel like a special adventure instead of a chore.
5. Let Them Listen to Audiobooks
On road trips or quiet afternoons, play kid-friendly audiobooks. Listening to stories helps kids develop a love for narrative and strengthens listening skills.
6. Mix Reading With Their Interests
Is your child into dinosaurs? Cooking? Space? Find books that match their current interests. When kids are excited about a topic, they’re much more likely to engage with the reading.
7. Start a “Read and Draw” Journal
After reading, invite your child to draw a favorite character or scene and write a few sentences about it. It’s a low-pressure way to combine reading, writing, and creativity. In fact, you might have some writing prompts in mind to help your child get started. Here are a few prompts related to summer.
- ✨ If you could have any animal as a pet, even a dinosaur or dragon, what would you choose? What would you and your pet do together?
- 🏖️ Describe your perfect summer day. Where would you go? What would you eat? Who would you spend it with?
- 🌈 Imagine you found a magic door in your backyard. Where does it lead? What do you see when you walk through it?
- 🍦 Invent a brand-new ice cream flavor! What’s it called? What does it taste like? Would you sell it in a special ice cream shop?
- 🦸 If you were a superhero, what would your powers be? What would your superhero costume look like?
8. Work on Phonics and Vocabulary to Build Summer Reading Skills
If you are outdoors, grab a baskets of sidewalk chalk and let your young reader work on spelling new words, word families, and sight words. Here’s a resource you might check out for vocabulary as well.
9. Act Out Stories
Pick a favorite story and act it out together. You can use simple costumes or puppets. Acting helps kids better understand plot and character—and it’s lots of giggles too!
10. Be a Reading Role Model
Let your child see you reading—whether it’s a novel, a magazine, or a cookbook. When kids see adults enjoying reading, they’re more likely to think it’s fun and important too.
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🌞 Summer is about having fun—and reading can be part of that fun!
With just a few simple habits, you can help your young reader grow their confidence and love for books all summer long.
