Don’t discard books just because it’s summer

With summer’s arrival, reading may be the last thing on the minds of many students.

Rather than worrying about lost reading skills, some librarians and authors suggest the key to encouraging students to keep reading is to take a laid-back approach and incorporate reading into other activities.

As the mother of a seven-yearold, Emily Blackmore understands encouraging children to read from both a personal and professional perspective. In her day job as children’s and youth collections and services librarian, she’s in charge of children’s summer programming at all 92 public libraries in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As a parent, she practises what she preaches, saying the emphasis on summer reading should be fun and a chance for parents and children to spend time together.

The TD Summer Reading Club is one of the main summer activities for children in that province and includes a YouTube channel with a different video each week.

“There are different challenges throughout the summer — things like reading about a new hobby,” she explained. “When the kinds sign up to participate, they are eligible for prizes.”

One of the reasons behind the creation of the summer reading program, which is national in scope, is to make sure students keep up their reading skills when school is out.

She also pointed out parents should not be hesitant to let their children know it is ok to stop reading a book they are reading for enjoyment if they don’t like it.

INCORPORATE CASUAL READING

Well-known children’s author Sheree Fitch of River John, Nova Scotia echoed agrees. She said students need the break from school and more structured learning that summer provides. However, she said there can be opportunities to incorporate reading into other summer activities.

“If you are going on a picnic or to the beach, suggest they bring a book along,” she suggested, adding there will likely be some days when they may not feel like reading and that’s fine too.

Blackmore scheduled a reading time for her two children every night just before bed and said it serves as a nice way to wind down the day.

INSPIRATIONAL EARLY READING

One of the first books Fitch can remember having a major impact on her thinking was reading the Diary of Anne Frank. She said the memoir of the 12-year-old girl forced to hide from the Nazis during the Second World War just because she was Jewish made her realize there was a world beyond what she knew.

Fitch cautions against imposing children books that may be recommended by other parents, noting every child's taste is different. Instead, she encourages parents to “model yourself as a reader. Let your children see you reading.”

Blackmore agrees, saying it is important not to send conflicting messages.

“If you keep telling your children it is important to read and yet they never see you read, what that says is you don’t really attach that much importance to it,” she explained.