It is a statistical fact that many students’ Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) scores will actually be lower next fall than they were at the end of the previous school year. Educators call this the “summer slide.” The DRA is a tool used by teachers to assess students’ reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension in order to help them form an educational plan to help kids become better readers. Believe me, parents, teachers will be able to tell who read over the summer and who did not.

Travis Naughton

I know that summer is a busy time for families. Between baseball, softball, running, biking, camping, fishing, hiking, travel, and so on there seems to be very little “down time” left for reading. But I would caution that reading not be considered something to do only when there is unscheduled “down time.” While keeping our bodies active over the warm months of the year is important, so is keeping our brains active. Especially the brains of young people.

If left unchecked, the electronic devices in my household would suck the brains right out of my kids’ heads. It is so easy for children (and adults) to fall into the trap of staring at a screen in those precious few moments of down time each day when nothing else is scheduled. That’s why at the Naughton house, reading time is a requirement pretty much every day in the summer.

Video games and YouTube are entertaining, but they do not help kids stay intellectually sharp over the summer break the way reading does. To make it a little more fun, the Naughtons are having a family reading challenge this summer. Each time someone finishes a book, they write the title down on a list posted on our refrigerator. The person who reads the most books by Labor Day wins. (I have yet to decide on a prize, but I suspect a flea market and a repurposed bowling trophy will come into play before summer is up.)

My kids are now all old enough to be reading chapter books, and I’m happy to report that on our first trip to “the big library” in Columbia this summer, they each found several books that they were genuinely excited about reading. Let me tell you, watching your kid hit a homerun or score a goal is great, but sneaking up on her and catching her enthusiastically reading in her room, even when no one told her she had to, is pretty awesome, too.

To help kids avoid the summer slide in reading levels, the Daniel Boone Regional Library is once again offering its very popular Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is “How will you build a better world?” The program begins on June 1 and offers activities and challenges for people of all ages. Registration is ongoing.

For youngsters from birth to age 5, if parents read with their child at least 30 times over the summer and complete a few simple and fun activities together, kids will receive a free book. Children ages 5-12 who read for at least 20 hours and do at least 10 of the library’s suggested activities will receive a free book and be entered into a drawing for other rewards. Teens who read at least 20 hours, submit three book reviews, and complete seven activities that make a positive impact in the community will receive a free book and be entered into a drawing for prizes including an Amazon Fire tablet.

Adults who register for the program and share reviews of what they’re reading will be entered into weekly drawings for bookstore gift certificates. The library is also offering a special version of Summer Reading for small groups such as daycare classes or scout troops. A list of literacy activities and a chart for tracking groups’ read-aloud time are provided. Groups that read together at least 20 times will receive some free books and a small reward for each individual participant.

I’ve already finished one book so far this summer, and by the time this goes to print, I should be jotting a second book title down on our family’s tally board. Summer is all about having fun, and a friendly reading competition among family should only add to the enjoyment. Especially if I win.

Have fun this summer, and be sure to make some time for reading. You’ll be glad you did. (And so will your kids’ teachers.)