Amazing Reading Resources to Stop the Summer Slide
Now that summer is here, I want to make sure that my kids have plenty of reading resources. This year more than ever, I do not want to see the summer slide!
We really depend on the school and public library to satiate our kids’ reading habits. But, during the summer, when schools are closed, we wanted to provide you with other reading resources that will help prevent the summer slide.
We found some amazing reading resources for home learning that have become invaluable even with the opening of libraries. We made sure to include many free and low-cost options.
*Prevent the Summer Slide Post includes affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you.
What is the Summer Slide in Education?
The summer slide refers to learning loss over the summer. Kids often forget what they have learned when they do not practice their skills over the summer. This decline leads to time spent re-learning skills at the beginning of the school year.
How Can I Prevent the Summer Slide?
Preventing the summer slide is easier than you think! Simply setting aside time daily for reading can make a huge impact on learning loss over the summer. You can utilize many of the reading resources that we have provided for you in addition to finding books that you have at home.
Free Reading Resource to Prevent the Summer Slide
Reading Bear
This is a great resource for children who are just learning how to read. It concentrated on sounds and phonics to break down reading into smaller more manageable material
Storyline Online
While this is not a site where your child can read, it is a fabulous place where celebrities read stories. Any exposure to language is a great thing. These stories will keep your kids entertained in such a fun and meaningful way.
Epic
Epic is a site that has a huge library of books that ranges from 5 and under to 12. You can sign up and get a free trial for 30 days.
Starfall
This site has great reading resources for children from Kindergarten age through grade 3. There are cute games that kids really enjoy and it is phonics-based.
Scholastic Learn at Home
I have been using this a lot with my kids. They find the stories and information interesting. They did a really good job of making learning fun and interactive with activities to go along with the reading.
International Children’s Digital Library
This free library site allows your child to read books in many languages. The books are on the site in the original language of publication.
Local library audiobooks
While the local library branches are now open, the digital platforms are open 24/7. There are a ton of books available on kindle as well as audiobooks that are great for kids. Our local library is even extending the number of loans that each library card can borrow. You can use Overdrive or Libby to listen to audiobooks.
Hoopla
Hoopla is an app that allows you to borrow books through your local library. The difference between this and the library account is that there are no holds or waitlists. If the book is available, you can borrow it. They are also having additional borrows each month as well as a ton of books that are “bonus” books. Meaning, they do not count toward your monthly total.
Low-Cost Options
Libro.fm
Libro.fm has introduced a fabulous new audiobook program for kids. Each month, a select number of children’s books are available from their kids club for less than $10 – most are around $5. I absolutely love this idea. It’s a great way to build your audiobook library at an incredibly discounted price.
Amazon Kids Plus
for voracious readers, we recommend amazon’s Kids + app (Formerly Amazon Unlimited). Each of Kirsten’s kids has a Kid’s Kindle Fire (see her full review here) and 2 years later, they still love them. The kids have access to THOUSANDS of books for the yearly price of $19.99. If you chose to get them a kid’s kindle, the first year is free. There are also lots of educational apps included in the price
Children’s Book World’s Just Right Book Box
Recently, our favorite independent children’s book store created a personalized book box. All I can say is wow! It is so simple and they do all the work and I have to say that every single pick was SPOT ON. I filled out a form to indicate what type of books my kids like to read, the last book they read and what kind of reader they are. Within 48 hours, I received a list of 10 book recommendations.
My middle son does not like to read very much and only reads books about sports or graphic novels. The recommendations for him were fabulous. They contained an element of sport but were not all books about sports which was such a relief for me. For my older son, who reads a few hundred books a year, they were able to recommend a number of books that he had never heard of and was anxious to get started with.
I cannot say enough good things. It is so important, if you are able, to support the local bookstores. They provide knowledge and expertise and that is unparalleled. Make sure you mention on your form that Beyond the Bookends sent you.
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