School will soon be out, and it will be time to relax and enjoy the summer sun! But that doesn’t mean your children have to stop learning. In fact, reading can be a great way to keep them engaged and entertained during the summer months. Here are some tips for keeping your children interested in reading during the summer.

• Encourage them to read for fun: This can be anything from comics and magazines to books and articles. The important thing is that they’re reading something they enjoy.
• Make it a family activity: Set aside some time each day or week to read together as a family. Each of you can grab your favorite book and stretch out on the sofa or even head outside and spend some time reading silently. 
• Visit the library: The library is a great place to find new and interesting books for your children to read. And best of all, it’s free! (Plus, be sure to see what summer programs your local library is offering! Libraries nowadays offer a lot more than just books!)
• Take advantage of summertime activities: There are often many summertime activities that involve reading, such as book fairs, storytimes at the park, and more. Attend these with your children and encourage them to participate.
• Create a reading challenge: Why not create a challenge to see how many books your children can read over the course of the summer? You can even offer prizes for reaching certain milestones. This will help them to stay motivated and excited about reading.
• Read aloud together: This is a great way to bond with your children and help them to improve their reading skills. Take turns reading aloud, or have one person read while the other follows along.
• Make it fun: Reading doesn’t have to be a chore. Encourage your children to have fun with it by incorporating games, activities, and even crafts into their reading time.
• Let them try audiobooks: Do you have a child who doesn’t like to read? Maybe they’re a bit reluctant or see it as “work”? Then let them give audiobooks a try. They may enjoy having someone read to them!
• Find books that match their interests: Throughout the school year, children often have to read assigned books – but during the summer, that is not the case. If your child is interested in dinosaurs, find books about dinosaurs. If they like sports, look for books about sports. Hone in on their interests.

And, if your children are looking for some books to read this summer, here are some recommendations!

• Reading Rockets: Each year, Reading Rockets puts together a summer book list – for all ages! What’s great is that you can stick to this year’s list or check out previous years for inspiration and suggestions!
• Newton Free Library Summer Reading List: Similar to the lists put out by Reading Rockets, the Newton Free Library shares summer reading lists on their website (and you can see previous years, also).
• The Most Exciting Middle Grade and Chapter Books of 2022: Here’s a list of new books for tweens to take a look at!
• 11 Popular Teen Books for 2022: Summer reading isn’t just for elementary students! Teens should take some time to read, too. This list has 11 popular books that might interest even the pickiest teenager.

These are just a few tips to help keep your children interested in reading during the summer months. With a little effort, you can ensure that they’ll be getting plenty of enjoyment and learning from their reading all summer long!