IMG_5166 Summer is coming and everyone is ready for a break from the rigors of school. So go ahead and sleep in, plan that camping trip and get ready for some summer fun.

But….take along some books. Kids need regular reading sessions to maintain their skills. A week or two with no reading practice can mean a loss of several months of hard work done during the school year.

Good news! There’s a way to make summer reading really fun. Why not gather a group of kids and have a weekly reading club? You can choose a number of ways to organize it. But the easiest is to do a read aloud, then allow some time for each kid to read a book or two on their own. Supply some snacks and a game or two and meet again in a week. You might consider some incentives such as a field trip at the end of summer or a special movie night with popcorn–anything that will keep the reading enthusiasm going all summer.

If kids find a book they love, they may choose to share it with the club. If the kids are of similar reading levels they might choose to read a book together and discuss it just like adult reading clubs do.

If reading in the summer sounds like hard work, it’s easy to make sure it’s fun and motivating. Summer reading clubs can be tons of fun.