Five Easy Ways to Support Summer Reading June 17 2025

Five Easy Ways to Support the Transport to Wonders through Good Stories for Youngsters

1.) Plan: Be thinking about appropriate books for the age(s) of your child(ren). There are many resources for this. We have listings here, where you can find titles appropriate for your youngster’s grade level. (This link will take you to grade 1, but there are more grades listed.)

2.) Check in your school or local library for the availability of books you know will appeal to your child(ren).

3.) Decide on a time each day that thirty to forty-five minutes will be devoted to quiet reading time. Rhythm is important in all things and this is no exception. If it is set as an expectation and then it happens every day at the same time, it’s likely to succeed. It also buys everyone in a household or childcare situation a quiet resting time. If the child(ren) is young, this could be a read-aloud and then nap time after reading.

4.) At a mealtime (same time every day) ask about the reading everyone is doing. Enthusiasm and interest about this will help a lot and will also help all children learn to re-tell a story in sequence.

5.) When one reader completes a whole book, invent a reward for this accomplishment. Go somewhere to get ice cream, make celebratory popcorn, give the reader a nice book marker, or take a special, finished-book-walk (just some examples). 

These are just suggestions.  You likely have you own, better ideas, but just in case these ideas come in handy, or spark your own ideas, the Library Lady offers these! Remember that reading always is good for inducing relaxation. If things become fraught or stressful, make a different plan because summer reading ought to be something easy enough and easy-going enough to make life a little less frantic and reading maximally enjoyable.