Summer Reading Benefits & Recommendations
Baltimore County’s English Language Arts Office recommends all students should engage in summer reading.
Benefits of Reading Over the Summer Months: (courtesy of scholarwithin.com)
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Enhance reading skills in the key areas of phonics, fluency, spelling, comprehension, and vocabulary
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Ignite a passion for reading and books
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Improves self-esteem
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Reduces the possibility of summer reading loss
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Strengthens literacy & background knowledge
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Boosts memory skills
Strategies to Encourage Reading in the Summer: (curiosity of scholastic.com)
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Take your child to the library
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Take books on road trips and vacations
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Purchase books from yard sales, book clubs, libraries, and bookstores
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Find book series or authors that your child enjoys
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Build reading time into the summer routine/schedule
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Sign your child up for community reading clubs, groups, or programs
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Read the same book as your child so you can talk about the book together
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Put limits on the amount of screen time
Our office's vision statement includes "producing globally competitive graduates who are critical thinkers, accomplished readers and writers, and skillful communicators," we believe that reading should be at the heart of the high expectations we hold for all students.
Therefore, we believe:
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Reading matters.
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Reading creates opportunities for students to explore new perspectives, discover new interests, cultivate or create their identities, and to imagine possibilities for their lives beyond their immediate circumstances or capabilities.
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Students should have a choice over the books they read in the summer.
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Students should have multiple ways to share their summer reading experiences with their peers.
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Schools should do their best to create excitement and access around summer reading opportunities.
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