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Fill this sentence in for me, please. The Summer belongs to ___________?
The answer is BOOKS! If you didn’t say books, please allow me to convince you.
While every season is the perfect time to pick up a good read, there is something special about Summer reading (actually, a few things). Summer Reading is a critical time of year, particularly for children.
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The most obvious may be the prevention of the dreaded “Summer Slide.” We spend all year cramming knowledge into little heads, only to stop cold turkey in May or June, and we don’t begin again until August or September. And during that break, kiddos forget a bit. Regular reading can help with retention overall and even expand their reading skills and vocabulary! 
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The extra time for free choice reading during Summer frequently causes a love of reading to blossom. This is also an ideal time for reluctant readers who may have fallen behind grade level to catch up in a low stress environment, while reading stories they enjoy! 
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Reading boosts cognitive and emotional development at any time of year, and Summer is no exception. You can expect memory and concentration to increase, worldview and context to grow, critical thinking to blossom, and empathy to deepen. 
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Children thrive on structure, and the open freedom of Summer hours can cause dysregulation over time. Setting reading time each day in the Summer provides needed structure with the gorgeous bonus of quiet time throughout the house. 
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While helping your child become happier, more capable, and a lifelong reader are all great benefits to making Summer reading a priority, it goes a long way to strengthening your relationship with your child too. Reading together is an investment of time that deepens bonds, and creates lasting warm memories. 
Children only get 18 Summers. Only 18. That’s it. There are no refunds, exchanges, or exceptions. Those Summers are precious, and they’re gone in a blink. Let’s spend them reading, playing, exploring, and laughing together.
If you’d like to make a game out of Summer Reading, there are many free Summer Reading programs you can enroll in.
If you prefer to keep things even more simple, I’ve linked three fun, free printables by other bloggers that you can use to kick start your Summer Reading at home to amp up the fun level!
No matter how you do it, know that every minute you spend reading with your kids this Summer is worth its weight in gold!
I’m wishing you the very best Summer with your family!
Warm Regards,
Miriam Monette
Co-Founder, White Lake Press
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