Summer Reading

I know you might be saying . . . “It’s not even Spring in the Northern Hemisphere yet.” And, you would be right. We still have a few more days before we get there; but when it comes to reading instruction, it’s never too early to start planning and preparing.

As a matter of fact, Degrees of Maternity is gearing up for a new summer reading program, including a whole different platform I’ll utilize this summer to allow me to assist more children with their reading journeys than I’ve been able to do in the past.

I just wanted to come on and say that I’m currently in preparation mode and will start laying out specifics between now and June 2026 (the beginning of the Degrees of Maternity Summer Reading Program).

A few things I can mention are as follows:

• Who (is the program for?) – first through fifth graders, who have a strong command of their letter names and corresponding sounds.
• Furthermore, the program is also for those young readers who are reading below their grade level and need some proficiency gaps closed to bring them from where they are to where they need to be in their reading skills development.
• What (is the program?) – a program that will give children instructional reading guidance to help build foundational and increasingly more complex reading skills to take the reader from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”
• Where (is the program taking place?) – virtually on Zoom.
• When (is the program taking place?) – for 8 weeks between the months of June through August of 2026.
• Why (is the program being created) – to prevent young readers from experiencing summer slide in their reading skills over the summer months when school isn’t in session as well as to close reading proficiency gaps for young readers.
• How much will the program cost? How many students will be accepted into the program? How many sessions per week will students have? How long will each session be? These questions and more will be answered in upcoming blog posts.

Another item I would like to cover in today’s post is the fact that I want parents/family members to be well informed about the program offerings and benefits to their children, so I will be providing a sign-up sheet to schedule one-on-one informational sessions with families who are interested in having their children participate in summer reading with yours truly.

The sign-up sheet will be presented to you in the next blog post, and you are welcome to share it with your friends, family, and online communities. I would love your help in getting the word out.

I think it’s very important for the adults (in the lives of the children) to understand the investment they’re making in their children’s futures. It’s truly a team effort in providing children with positively-impactful reading experiences which help create an appreciation (and even a “love”) of reading. (I see myself as an extension of “Team [insert child’s name here].”)

When so much of their progression in life relies on them being successful readers, reading education can never be downplayed as an afterthought in children’s minds. It needs to be a priority, especially during the summer lull. And, we (adults) are just the perfect ones to emphasize the importance of reading in our children’s daily routines.

So, I’ll be back with more details on what I have in mind to help our children experience the reading growth they need to be more engaged and confident in their reading.