Resources for Summer Reading Success

Whether your students are looking to join (or create!) a book club or read on their own during the summer, having a book list is essential! Reading takes us places, letting us imagine whole new worlds, narratives, and experiences. Encourage students to share their thoughts on what they’ve read with book meet ups or a digital space. Also, consider a free little library in your community if there isn’t one already. Once back in school, students can bond over what they’ve read and use this as a great ice breaker in a new classroom.

The time students spend outside of the classroom is just as important as the time that they spend in it. Learning loss during school breaks has long been a concern, known to teachers as the summer slide. One tactic to help combat that is reading. Students that play sports know that practice helps to improve their play. Reading is similar—the more you do it, the more developed your skills. Not reading during the summer months can cost children up to three months of reading development, potentially setting them behind their peers upon returning to school. Allowing students to choose book lists based on their interests, possibly by creating a summer reading challenge, helps to keep them engaged, reading, and sharing their thoughts, helping to expand their critical thinking and reasoning skills. 

May is Get Caught Reading Month and a great time to start building a summer reading list! We’ve compiled just a few sources for building book lists for all grade levels. What’s on your book list this summer? 

National Education Association -  The National Education Association celebrates reading every month with the Read Across America campaign! Each month, they highlight a book for readers in elementary, middle grade, and young adult categories. They also offer great tips on creating a book club. 

Imagination Soup - Imagination Soup offers a ton of reading lists! From lists curated by grade level to books by topic, there’s something for all interests! 

TeacherVision - TeacherVision offers lists for reading levels from pre-K thru adult! They also offer teacher resources and activities to go with summer reading assignments. 

We Are Teachers - We Are Teachers offers reading selections from picture books to chapter books and graphic novels, encouraging all students to be excited about reading!

Brightly - Brightly is an entire website devoted to reading lists! They curate lists based on age, reading level, topic, and more!