Schools and school districts are increasingly requiring students to maintain or develop reading skills during the summer break. Book lists, reports, and assigned workbook activities are among the most common summer prescriptions by teachers and administrators. Using these tips to improve your child's reading skills during June, July, and August, may bring higher grades and happier students come September.
Establish Your Child's Current Reading Level
Your child's teacher can provide you with insight into his current reading level and areas where he needs development. Ask your child's teacher what areas seem to give him the most difficulty and ask for book recommendations so that you can build your child's reading program starting with books that increase in difficulty over time. There are also assessments that you can purchase to determine your child's reading level. The Home School section of your local bookstore should have some reading assessments you can purchase for home use.
Once you know your child's reading level, find books that will hold his interest. Summer gives your child the time and opportunity to read books of his choosing instead of reading material that he is required to read.
Understand the Criteria for Reading Success for the Upcoming Year
Bringing your child's reading up to current grade level is only the first part of a successful reading program. Have your child's school outline the levels at which he is expected to be able to perform by the end of the upcoming school year. This will not only give you a chance to get a jump on meeting next year's expectations during summer, but will enable to you understand your child's reading grade and progress during the upcoming year.
While selecting books, choose books that get progressively more difficult over time. Start with books that he finds easier to read and gradually progress to longer and more complex books over time. Check with the children's books specialist at your local bookstore for suggested titles.
Required Reading Should Be Done Over Time
If your child is required to read a specific number of books or pages over the summer, set up a designated reading time each day. Increase the amount of time of these reading sessions by 2-5 minutes each week, building to 60-90 minutes by the end of the summer. When reading with your child, be sure to frequently ask him questions about what he has just read and his opinion on the events in the book. This will make writing the report at the end of the book easier and increase your child's overall comprehension.
Chart Reading Progress
It often takes time to see substantial progress in your child. This slow process lends itself to defeatism and diminished excitement about what your child is actually accomplishing. Chart his progress in a place where the entire family can see daily completion of objectives. Allow your child to chart his own progress as well, so that you can be sure he sees the progress he is making over time.
Work Toward Meeting and Exceeding Recommended Reading Fluency Rates
At the beginning of the school year, students in entering grades 2 - 8 are expected to be able to read fluently at the following rates:
- Grade 2: 30 – 60 words per minute
- Grade 3: 50 – 90 words per minute
- Grade 4: 70 – 110 words per minute
- Grade 5: 80 – 120 words per minute
- Grade 6: 100 – 140 words per minute
- Grade 7: 110– 150 words per minute
- Grade 8: 120 – 160 words per minute
To calculate your child's reading rate, count the words that your child reads over a period of time and divide that number by the number of minutes your child read. [1]
While developing a quality summer reading program requires some effort on your part, if you take some time to establish your child's reading level, build a program of increasing difficulty with books that he enjoys reading, and chart your child's success and work toward recommended reading levels, your child will enjoy reading and be rewarded with a successful transition to next year's reading classes.
For more information on developing a reading program for struggling readers, see the article, "Summer Reading for Struggling Readers" at Suite 101.
References
1. Rasinski, Timothy V., PhD. Assessing Reading Fluency. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. Table 2.
Julie Warrenfeltz - A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh in 1995 with a self-designed major in Technical Writing, I launched my career with a contract ...
