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Why it matters: Kids’ reading skills can regress during school vacation. Summer reading programs offered through area libraries help kids retain or even gain skills.

As predictable as heat and humidity on a late-July day, summer not only can sponge away energy to keep bodies active, but it can make brains a bit lazy as well.
Reading experts have a term for it when it comes to the effect on students: summer slide.

Teachers often spend the first month or two of the school year getting kids caught back up to where they were the previous spring, said Brittany Ward, a mentor coach with Kennedy and Washington elementary schools in Mankato.

The way for kids to combat regression of reading skills is to keep at it, just like practicing your batting skills. Swinging regularly is the way to improve your game. Kids can stay on track by reading or by being read to for 30 minutes a day, Ward said.

And reading doesn’t always have to mean quietly sitting still. Lisa Von Drasek, curator of the Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature at the University of Minnesota, encourages parents and child care providers to incorporate reading into lots of activities. Outdoor adventures can include reading maps and researching destinations for a trip. Cooking a new recipe includes reading it through to gather ingredients and understand the steps.

And fortunately, libraries across the area offer kids programming and incentives to keep them reading. Summer reading programs are a well-established tradition that parents need to be aware of so their kids don’t miss the opportunity — or the fun. Entertainment is often included in the summer program schedules. The North Mankato Taylor Library just kicked off their program Saturday and the Blue Earth County Library is enrolling kids starting today.
Summer tends to fly by. Don’t let the kids in your life miss the chance to keep their reading skills sharp and to have lots of fun while doing so.

— Mankato Free Press, June 12