When Reading Habits Slide: The critical role of libraries sustaining reading over summer break | From the Editor

Where I live in the Midwest, February tends to be a tough month—it’s cold, the sky is grey, and blankets of snow that were charming in December now linger as messy slush. That’s why it’s the perfect time, in my opinion, to dream about summer.

For me, nothing beats a lazy summer day spent reading outside under a tree. But for my kid, picking up a book is one of the last things he wants to do during his summer break.

As our family is getting back into a schedule following winter break, I’m acutely aware of how challenging it can be to help my son maintain a reading habit when school is out of session. When I talk to my friends who are parents, I realize I’m not alone—most everyone struggles to keep their kids reading when work schedules, sports practices, music lessons, and the general busyness of life get in the way.

I recently queried my book club—not a statistically valid sample of parents, but a group of moms with school-age kids who have perspectives on reading—to understand the challenges they face and what they would love to see in a summer reading program. Here’s what they had to say:

“My daughter is in daycare for a lot of the day during the summer, so by the time she gets home she just wants to play with neighborhood friends or ride her bike. It might be helpful if the library could partner with local summer camps or daycares to encourage reading while the kids are there for the day.”

“We lose steam as the summer goes on. By August, it’s a sad state for reading in this house. Maybe some sort of incentive to read the same amount in all three summer months would help?”

“I like that our library has an adult program because I was able to show my son that I was still reading over the summer, too.”

“We read before bed so that works for us to keep the routine from the school year. But when that routine falls apart and kids are up late (as they often are in the summer) the reading slips and they just go to bed!”

“Reading in the summer doesn’t even cross my mind—I can barely get through the day-to-day! I know all the stats on what reading does for your long-term success, but somehow, I still haven’t made it happen. Is it me?? Or do a lot of parents need something way more structured and guided to help?”

In this month’s issue, SLJ’s Kara Yorio explores some varied and creative efforts librarians employ to keep kids reading during those crucial months when they aren’t in school. The programs and activities highlighted in “Summer Starts Now” demonstrate best practices in student engagement—a key aspect to creating a reading habit that sticks.

Kids struggle to prioritize reading during school breaks for many reasons. In an effort to preempt the summer slide, now is the time for libraries to plan structured and meaningful summer reading programs that will energize students and give grown-ups the tools they need to support their readers in keeping reading top of mind.

Hallie Rich

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, LIBRARY JOURNAL 
AND SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
hrich@mediasourceinc.com