Teachers want to ward off the dreaded summer slide in reading. Without consistent practice, students can lose critical skills like fluency, comprehension, and literacy during the summer break.
Teachers are often forced to reteach these skills in the new school year, and the loss is especially acute when children are transitioning between younger grades.
The need for summer reading has come into sharp focus as students’ reading levels have struggled to improve since pandemic-era lows. While long-term trends show that 9-year-olds’ reading scores have improved, 13-year-olds’ reading levels remain mostly stagnant.
The push to improve reading scores is real, but teachers aren’t convinced that assigning a mandatory summer reading list is the best way to do it. Students will either choose to ignore the list or cram in a few pages just before school starts back up, said online commenters in response to a question posed by EdWeek on social media.
Other teachers don’t want to completely give up on summer reading, but caution that students should have the agency to choose what they read.
Below is a collection of responses, grouped by theme and edited for clarity, and based on the question: Do you think assigning summer reading helps keep students engaged during the break?
Choice and enjoyment matter more than mandatory assignments
Teachers find that when they personalize assignments, select books for students suited to their skills, and engage parents before the summer break, students read more. Or just letting students pick their own summer reading works too.
Assigned reading that they will hate? Nope. Making personal reading choices available and enticing? YES.
Assigning it? No. That kills the joy and magic. Providing fun avenues to make it enticing? Yes!
It should always be an option, encouraged and fun as opposed to a mandate.
Yes, to a degree. Suggesting they read at least one book is advisable, while taking into account the child's age and other obligations. However, the student should be allowed to choose books they enjoy, and the parents/caregivers should be responsible for ensuring that the books are appropriate. Making reading a requirement that's punishable if not done and demanding they read specific books will deter students' desire to read!
I am reading my nephew’s book with him and I think it is a wonderful book, but heavy content. I think reading in the summer should be encouraged but give kids the opportunity to read something they choose.
Anything mandatory will be loved by some and hated by others. Schools should be aiming to create a reading culture throughout the school year so that, when the summer comes, students know how to find titles they want to read and want make time for it.
No fun for kids, no fun for parents
Summer reading can often feel like more work for parents, teachers said. They don’t want to enforce prescribed reading because as parents themselves, they know what it takes to get their own kids off their screens to read a few pages every day.
No. My kid reads enough for school. She needs a break.
Children need a break. The books I was assigned as a high school student in summer did nothing but cause aggravation! They have their whole lives for work. This practice makes kids hate reading.
No. Summer work is a parent headache.
As a parent and teacher, I love it. My son is a rising sophomore and his AP lit teacher assigned them a choice from four or five books for the summer and it's been great to encourage family reading time and model it for our younger child too.
Some kids can be enticed to read. Others simply won’t
If kids are reluctant readers in school, it’s hard to convince them to pick up a book during their break, teachers said. Conversely, students with a natural proclivity to read will find a way to do it. Schools should aim to create a culture of reading—in the summer, students will know how to look for the titles they want to read and make time for them.
Students who enjoy reading will find a way to do so. Students that have summer work or other obligations like visiting one’s parent (separation), grandparents, or are engaged with family vacations should not be given homework over the summer. Teachers want to enjoy their vacation, so do kids. Better to engage the family, the parent/guardian to encourage summer reading. Reality check: teachers don’t assign homework (elementary/middle school) during the school year because it rarely gets done and adversely affects students’ grades. Why would they assign summer reading?
The kids who like to read will read all summer. The kids who don’t like to read will either leave the book to the last minute or will get an AI summary.
Kids who like to read will read. How do you convince kids to trade their devices and social media for a book? Parents have to engage their kids and have options for screen time.
I’d say the libraries and any other prize programs (Pizza Hut anyone?) have better chances of getting kids to read over the summer than schools do.
