4 Helpful Reading Practice Strategies to Get Ready for Back To School

Is there anything kids love more than summer break? With its sunshine, smiles, and homework-free days, it’s a great time for kids to explore and play. But with this break, kids often fall out of practice with their reading skills. This can lead to some learning loss that’s sometimes called the summer slide.

Don’t worry! While school is starting soon, there’s still plenty of time to jumpstart your child’s reading practice. Here are four ways your child can practice their reading skills to get back in the swing of things for a new school year.

A father sits beneath a tree with his two sons cuddled next to him. The father reads a book aloud to the children; one child smiles, while one child looks focused, sticking his tongue out while he thinks

#1: Habit stack reading practice with daily activities. 

A mother and daughter cook together while reading from a recipe book.

Sometimes, the easiest way to build a habit is by pairing it with another activity. For example, you can listen to an audiobook with your child during a car ride or while cooking dinner. It’s a great way to fit reading practice time into your daily routine naturally, with the added bonus of not cutting into playtime.

#2: Start setting up a reading routine.

Create a fun reading routine with your child! All you need is a consistent time for a little bit of reading practice each day. Let your child pick out a book that they like to keep them interested. Then, pick a comfortable place to read without distractions. This can be as simple as snuggling in bed to read together for 15 minutes at bedtime. The most important thing is to make a routine that works for you so that it’s easy to stick with it!

A grandmother and her grandson read a book together on the couch. She is holding the book for him as he reads aloud.

#3: Talk about what they’re reading.

A mother and son read a story together on the floor of their living room. They are both pointing at text on the page.

Did you know that just talking about books still builds kids’ literacy skills? When reading with your child, ask them questions about the story. You can ask questions like:

  • Who is your favorite character? Why do you like them?
  • What’s the main character doing in the story? Have you ever had a similar experience?
  • Do you have anything in common with the main character?
  • What do you think will happen next? 

These questions can help check if your child is comprehending the story, encourage them to make connections, and teach them how to make predictions.

#4: Use New Worlds Reading’s summer reading journal.

New Worlds Reading offers a printable Jounal Lekti Ete that’s chock-full of reading practice strategies and tips for caregivers and fun activities for kids! Use these activities with your child to spark conversations and practice reading comprehension skills using any book at home or at your local library. There are two journals in the same printable pdf: one for grades K-2 and one for grades 3 - 5.

A mother and son read a book together at the kitchen table. The mother smiles at the reading practice.

The most important thing is to just keep reading!

A girl lays on the floor with an open book, as if she’s just been reading. She smiles up at the camera.

A little reading each day can keep summer slide away. If you need new books to read before school starts up again, check out your local library! They may even have a free app like Libby that will let you download audiobooks at home. 

For more free books during the school year, apply for New Worlds Reading! New Worlds Reading mails 9 free books and reading activities to VPK - 5th graders each school year starting in October.

About the UF Lastinger Center for Learning

The UF Lastinger Center for Learning researches, develops, and scales equitable educational innovations for adults and children that put all learners on trajectories for lifelong success. With a portfolio ranging from early learning and literacy to mathematics and technology, the center supports transformative, sustainable change in collaboration with educators and other stakeholders in Florida, across the country, and around the world. Three strategic goals guide the center’s work: optimizing impact on teaching and learning, enhancing the scale of the center’s work and achieving long-term sustainability. To learn more about the Lastinger Center, please visit https://lastinger.ufl.edu/.