Avoid Summer Reading Loss with Osceola Reads and Footsteps2Brilliance

Did you know that the average child loses two months of reading skills over summer? From the end of your child's school year to the beginning of the next, summer reading loss takes place, meaning the reading progress that was made throughout the year will decline over the summer. But what is summer reading loss and how can you help avoid it? Read on to find out how Osceola Reads with Footsteps2Brilliance can help.

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What is summer reading loss?

Summer reading loss is when a child's reading development declines due to being away from the classroom or a literacy program during the summer months. Being away from the classroom can make getting age-appropriate reading materials difficult for students, which means at the start of the new school year, teachers will spend more time in the classroom catching up with the students instead of teaching them new reading strategies. It is important to spend time with your children making sure they are engaged in active reading during the summer months.

‍How can you prevent summer reading loss?

How can you help your child with reading? It is important to encourage your child to make sure they are engaged in active reading during the summer months. It is recommended to get your child to read for about fifteen minutes a day.

Here are a few ideas to include reading during everyday activities

• Bring a book to read while waiting at the doctor’s office
• Read recipes together and collect the ingredients as you make dinner
• Have books in the car for your child to look at while you're driving
• Point out objects while playing outside and find rhyming words to go with them
• Attend events, such as Storytime, at your local library

Osceola Reads also provides a free reading app, Footsteps2Brilliance, to all Osceola County children, and there are endless ways to incorporate the program with your summer reading without having to try too hard! And remember to get in your 15 minutes of reading each day!