Blog Posts

Read with RIF all summer long

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Books in tents, books on hammocks, and books on the beach. Books in cool libraries, and books under the warm sun by the pool. This is what summer reading traditionally brings to mind.

Of course, this summer is unlike any other as the pandemic has disrupted learning environments in schools and homes nationwide. Reading throughout the summer has always been critically important to stem the learning loss that traditionally follows summer break. The effects of the “summer slide” will be felt even greater when compounded with the tremendous learning loss that has taken place this past year due to the COVID slide. Early in the pandemic, NWEA published a study that shares the projected impact that this generation will face.

Educators, parents, and caregivers alike know how important it is to keep kids reading over the summer when children are out of school with less access to books and educational enrichment and their reading progress declines. And for families of lower socioeconomic status, this issue is particularly acute. According to the National Summer Learning Association, by the fifth grade, “summer learning loss can leave low-income students two-and-a-half to three years behind their peers. And, students who fall behind over the summer are less likely to graduate from high school or go on to college.” This is why RIF is committed to providing free and engaging reading resources and support all summer long.

kids reading

While I expect this summer will see all of us getting out of our homes and enjoying the great outdoors, it’s important to make reading an inviting and engaging part of our children’s summer activities, particularly as we recover from a year of turmoil. So this year, RIF is proud to help families Soar into Summer with an online destination of reading activities and resources to engage children and support caregivers in creating a culture of literacy throughout the summer. Visit www.RIF.org/Summer to dive into a summer of reading possibilities.

You can explore RIF’s curated support for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 including booklists, activities, crafts and more to help children discover the fun of reading this summer. Get ideas to start a summer book club with your child. Use RIF’s tips to integrate reading into your everyday lives. And check out our resources to encourage both independent reading and how to maximize time reading aloud with your child. RIF’s summer reading resources are designed to help your kids know that reading isn’t a chore! It’s sitting on the porch after dinner with a popsicle in one hand and a book in the other. It’s family storytime on a road trip. It’s fun and crafts after you’ve finished a great new book. It’s quality time together.

Use RIF’s summer reading resources to expand children’s imaginations this summer and keep up their reading skills as they prepare to return to school in the fall. Together let’s turn the summer slide into the summer climb.

Happy summer reading from RIF!

Alicia Levi
RIF President & CEO