Why Summer Reading Matters

Originally published inThe Belton Journal prior to the availability of their digital archive

As summer vacation draws to a close and stores are stocked with back-to-school merchandise, many students are scrambling to complete the summer reading that they have been neglecting since May. No one likes homework, especially during the summer, so it is no wonder why many students have procrastinated on their summer reading list. But no matter how inconvenient they might be, summer reading requirements are actually very important for the mental well-being of students of all ages.

One of the reasons why summer reading matters is because it helps to prevent the inevitable loss of academic skills during the summer months, which is, according to an article on scholastic.com, due in large part to a lack of consistent reading. Therefore, not only does diligent reading during the summer help to bridge that gap and eliminate the loss of reading skills and vocabulary knowledge, but it also allows for students to continue to learn and broaden their imaginations about topics that personally interest them.

According to the American Library Association (ALA), summer reading has been around since the 1890s “as a way to encourage school children, particularly those in urban areas and not needed for farm work, to read during their summer vacation, use the library and develop the habit of reading.” Furthermore, the ALA states that summer reading, especially when paired with a fun program, such as one that includes challenges and rewards, can encourage an interest in reading, books, and libraries, and it can also help kids keep their reading and comprehension skills up during the summer months.

Reading does not have to be (and should not be) boring or tedious, and parents can help their kids understand this by bolstering their required reading with books that are fun and interesting to them. The more widely they read, the more they will find the genres that interest them. As J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, once said: “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”