Summer Reading Success: 4 Tips for Families

  • Summer Break
family with young children laying in grass reading a book togeher

Keeping your child reading during the summer months is very beneficial for them. Supporting and encouraging your child to read sets them up for continued success in the next school year.

Tip 1: Choose a Great Book

Picking a ‘good fit’ book is the first step in a successful reading journey. Try using these ideas to help your child pick a book that sparks their interest, which makes it a good fit for them:

  • Pick Interesting Books: Encourage your child to be a book detective, exploring different aspects of a book and searching for clues that it is a ‘good fit.’ Things like looking at the cover, reading the first sentences together, reading the back of the book, and looking for pictures are great starts. If your child starts reading and finds the story uninteresting, move on to another book.
  • Encourage Variety: It’s very natural for children to want to read what they know about. Invite your child to consider choosing books that may be from different authors, topics, or genres. It’s very important for children to read both fiction and non-fiction.
  • Get Ready to Read: Choose a special place to read, where they feel comfortable, focused and safe. Maybe you build a summer reading spot together!

Tip 2: Pick a Reading Challenge

Summer’s reading challenges can help encourage your child to expand their learning. Take a look at these ideas and choose one that might be fun, or create your own!

  • Grande Prairie Public Library’s book challenge https://gppl.ca/Events-Contests/Summer-Reading-Games
  • Fun Summer Reading Challenges for Kids | Scholastic
  • Redesign a book cover to be more interesting or appealing to readers.
  • Draw in detail a key event or idea from a book.
  • Propose an idea for a prequel or sequel to a book.
  • Thoughtfully review a book in a blog or podcast.
  • Tell a friend or family member why they should read the book you just read. Use words or pictures to describe an idea everyone should know about your book.

Supporting your child’s reading challenge

  • Start a Thoughtbook. A Thoughtbook is any notebook your child can use to jot down their ideas or notes for their reading challenge. Read more https://tc2.ca/summer-reading
  • Share the Challenge. Once a challenge is completed, encourage your child to share their success with a friend, family member, or adult.

Tip 3: Encourage Curiosity and Exploration at Home

Encouraging your child’s curiosity about the world around them promotes literacy and critical thinking and gives them the opportunity to dream about their future.

By simply exploring the world, children gain skills to become innovators, problem solvers, collaborators, leaders, and lifelong learners. Here are some at-home exploration ideas that align with the provincial curriculum and can help continue supporting your child's learning:

Tip 4: Build Connections

Literacy and numeracy go hand in hand. As your child grows into an adult, they will use these skills every day, just like you do right now. We use them to understand a utility bill, choose a cellphone plan, answer an email, post to social media, figure out how much paint to buy, and compare prices at the grocery store. Check out these ideas to help strengthen your child’s literacy and numeracy skills while building connections in their community:

Free programs

Paid programs

Keeping your child engaged in reading and exploration sets them up for lifelong learning and success. Happy reading!

Division Information
Grande Prairie Public School Division
Email: communications@gppsd.ab.ca 
Phone: 780-532-4491