Summer Reading

An established essayist gives us his take on how to surpass the declined interest in reading when school is out.

I like to read a lot of books, especially novels, histories, short stories, and poetry collections. I’ve found that reading helps me to be more creative and to think about the world in different ways. As far as I’m concerned, summer is not only the perfect time to sleep-in, go to the beach, visit a relative’s home, or play with friends, it’s also a great time to read more books.

I prefer to read novels that are related to romance or tragedy. Reading helps me avoid stress, boredom and tensions that naturally occur in everyday life. As a result, I try to read books that fascinate me, especially when I’m going through difficult times when I need healthy distractions.

I used to make a reading plan for the summer and I was very strict about following this plan. I used the plan to complete my summer reading list by a certain date. Fortunately, the deadline never caused additional stress since I focused on providing ample time between reading each book. Then I had time to relax and enjoy my summer vacation so reading enhanced my enjoyment of the summer.

At the beginning of my summer break, I like to collect all the books that I plan to read from my local library. As an avid summer reader, I can identify with some of the issues that distract kids from reading. One of the top issues is laziness or procrastinating. It is true that many kids may not show interest in reading during the summer months and they look for other activities to keep them entertained, such as playing online games or using social media. For a lot of kids, reading is not an entertaining activity so they avoid reading in the summer.

Lack of interesting books is another factor that keeps kids from summer reading. Some teenagers consider reading boring and they prefer to hang out with their friends. Obviously, kids need to have time to hang with their friends, escape to camp, play games with friends online, go to relatives’ homes, or go for outings, etc. As a result, they tend to shy away from reading and gravitate to more active ways to enjoy their summer.

Some children consider summer reading as homework. Hence, they don’t want to spoil their summer vacation by doing “homework-like” activities. They think that summer vacation is not intended for doing homework and it’s strictly a time for their enjoyment. When kids feel like summer reading is too much like homework, they will not even touch a book and often go to great lengths to avoid reading.

Some parents try to force their kids to read during summer holidays. When kids are forced to read books, they will definitely lose interest in summer reading. Hence, parents may find that forcing a child to read is likely to backfire. Instead, it may be more effective to show how reading can entertain them, or help them discover interesting things about life or make academics easier in the fall through summer reading. Focusing on the benefits of reading or providing positive incentives for summer reading, rather than forcing them to read, may be more effective and actually help kids discover that they enjoy reading for pleasure.

Lack of unstructured time, along with the unavailability of interesting books, can also contribute to reducing a child’s interest in reading. For example, some families plan to visit their relatives or go on vacations during the summer months. When the summer is too structured with trips, camps or planned activities, it may not give children ample time to engage in reading. Helping kids plan their summer activities and their reading in advance of the summer holidays can be very helpful in making sure they have access to the kinds of books that they want to read. Setting aside blocks of time for reading on certain days or at certain times of the day, such as at night before going to bed is another technique that encourages a child to read without making it feel like an arduous chore.

Remember that summer reading needs to fit children’s reading levels, as well as their interest. So these components need to be carefully taken into consideration for any child. Reading at the appropriate level or at a level that is engaging and not too challenging, will help make reading more fun, more entertaining, and feel less like homework.

With so many benefits to gain from summer reading, it is more important than ever for parents and teachers to encourage kids to commit to some level of reading for pleasure during the summer. Although it may take some planning, and in some cases some incentives, summer reading can help broaden their perspectives of the world, improve their reading habits, and even help them discover that they enjoy reading for pleasure more than they ever expected.

Author-bio:

Karen Robinson is an independent author who takes joy in writing for a wide variety of publications. He is a full time essayist who enjoys thinking one-of-a-kind thoughts through meditative contemplation. Karen focuses on a range of academic writing, particularly custom essay writing services. His insight and active involvement in the field of recording guided him to compose articles for various sites like Essay Guardian. He has a passion for gathering individuals closer together online where their scholastic obligations meet with their dreams and desires.