We’re at the hottest parts of summer, and neighborhood leaders and organizations are already getting prepped for the new school year, to, perhaps, the apprehension and possible dismay of students. 

We also know that many of the same neighborhood leaders and organizations are committed to engaging young people in literacy throughout the year. The Germantown Info Hub asked local leaders and neighbors for advice on keeping young people engaged in literacy during the last weeks of summer and into the school year.

They provided us with a valuable list of tips and recommendations based on their own experiences and knowledge.

Let them read what they want.

Local educators and parents agree: let kids read what they want, even if all they want to read are comic books or manuals on how to play Minecraft better. It all counts as reading, says Krystal Dillard, the executive director of Natural Creativity Center, a self-directed education center in Germantown. Dillard also produced and hosted the first Germantown Literacy Fair, which will be held again this fall. 

Local mom Janet Martin agrees. She says that any kind of reading will help expand young readers’ minds and strengthen their reading muscles. 

Don’t underestimate audiobooks.

Principal Erica Smith at John Wister Mastery Charter Elementary School constantly thinks about ways to get kids engaged in reading. One of Wister’s main goals is to have all students reading proficiently by third grade. Now, going into her seventh year as principal, she is excited to keep moving in that direction. 

One of her many ideas was audiobooks! She recommends listening to stories during mealtime, bath time, and other daily activities.

Local moms recommend the Libby app to download audiobooks and other materials from the local library. 

Practice daily writing.

Principal Smith also recommends that folks not forget about the act of writing as part of literacy activities. She says buying cute new journals or notebooks for kids might be exciting, and having them journal daily about their day can be part of a new routine. 

She adds that even little kids who don’t know how to write yet can start drawing pictures of their day, which she says is an important precursor to reading and writing comprehension. 

Make space for lots of downtime… with books readily accessible

Give young people a chance to be bored, to relax, and to do nothing, especially during the summer, says Martin.  And during that downtime and screen breaks, always have a variety of reading materials available for them to pick up and enjoy. 

Make reading a social activity. 

Reading seems like it is always an isolated activity, says Principal Smith, but she recommends making it a social activity. Have a “family reading time” where everyone participates in a short reading time together, or start a household book club, where everyone is reading the same book. 

Create a literacy-rich environment. 

Reading happens everywhere and all the time, and both Dillard and Principal Smith remind caregivers that creating a literacy-rich environment is as easy as keeping books everywhere – in cars and in every room of your home, where reading and literacy are part of everyday life. 

Model the reading behavior you want to see.

Both Dillard and Principal Smith discussed the concept of modelling behavior.

If young people see the adult around them reading every day, this makes it a routine that seems very natural to them. Let young people see you read during the day, at night, and listen to audiobooks throughout the day. Dillard says this all adds to building a culture of reading and literacy in your home. 

Read every day, even if for a few minutes.

Reading every day is so important, and you don’t have to overthink it, says these literacy-loving leaders. Dillard loves the grocery store as a natural way to instill reading every day. She suggests taking kids grocery shopping, letting them read signs, ingredients on labels, flyers, or anything that can help build their reading muscle. She says reading every day can look like reading recipes while cooking or looking at the back-to-school calendar in the car. Just try and include reading every day. 

Happy reading!