Maintaining Momentum For The Struggling Reader Is VERY Important Why…and How…To Keep Reading Going Over Learning Breaks

Changes are around the corner, whether it's summer, holidays, new grade levels, graduation, college, or new jobs. How do you sustain momentum amidst these changes?

Stay Consistent:

Consistency is key. You want your struggling reader to keep developing and improving?  Then stay consistent. Develop routines that support reading. When you build and sustain consistency, you’ll maintain and build momentum, you’ll find that:

• Challenges become easier to overcome
• Progress feels effortless
• Their reading will accelerate

Pros and Cons for Older Struggling Readers During Learning Breaks

Lack of Structure: The relaxed schedule of summer holidays can lead to a lack of routine, resulting in irregular or minimal reading practice. Older struggling readers often benefit from a structured environment with regular reading sessions, which can be hard to maintain during summer vacation. It's important to keep routines that support reading.

Reduced Access to Resources: During the summer, students may have limited access to school resources like libraries, reading specialists, and structured reading programs. This lack of support can hinder their reading progress and make it challenging for them to find appropriate and engaging reading materials. Additionally, without a teacher to remind them of strategies or guide their progress, they may struggle with their skills or choose books that are not at the correct level.

Isolation in Practice: During holidays, students are no longer in literature groups, bouncing ideas off each other or learning collaboratively. Instead, they often end up practicing their reading skills in isolation. This lack of peer interaction can hinder their ability to develop critical thinking skills and reduce opportunities for shared reading experiences, which is a huge motivational tool for many struggling readers.

3 Amazing Things a Learning Break (Summer or Holiday) Can Give a Struggling Reader

Increased Motivation: Summer holidays offer opportunities for relaxation and fun, which can be used to motivate struggling readers. Incorporating reading into enjoyable activities, such as reading about places they visit or topics of interest related to their vacation, can make reading feel less like a chore and more like an exciting part of their holiday experience.

Real-World Learning Opportunities: Holidays often involve travel and new experiences, offering rich, real-world contexts for literacy. Struggling readers can engage with travel guides, brochures, maps, and signs, seeing the practical applications of their reading skills. They can fill out passport paperwork, travel documents, and bank forms under your safe guidance, rather than struggling through it on their own later. These authentic literacy tasks have a high impact, providing a safe space to make mistakes and learn.

Diverse Reading Materials: Books and reading don’t have to be limited to traditional novels. They can include picture books (and by picture, I don’t mean baby books), art books, science texts, historical works, photography books, and nature guides. Try exploring poetry, short stories, and graphic novels as well.

ONE Tip for Helping Your Older Struggling Reader During A Learning Break

If you have an older struggling reader who says, “Just tell me what it says!”, then it's okay to simply tell them. They’ve likely spent most of their reading time trying to use context or other strategies they’ve been taught. Save the lessons or lectures for a specific time and pre-set it up, for example, “Let’s take 10 minutes to practice using context after lunch, okay?” The rest of the time, just give them the word. If they want to use strategies and practice on their own, that's great. If you can't resist (I fall into this category), model it for them and hopefully, they'll catch the hint. At some point, they will decide for themselves how to use a strategy.

School Break Book Genres Everyone Can Enjoy

There are thousands of book genres to choose from, and each reader can find their own favorites just by typing the genre into any search engine. Here are some examples:

Picture Books (not the baby kind)

• Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places by National Geographic
• The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World by Lonely Planet

Poetry

• Poetry Speaks Who I Am: 100 Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else for Teens
• All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living by Morgan Harper Nichols

Short Stories

• The Struggle to Be Strong: True Stories by Teens About Overcoming Tough Times by Al Desetta and Sybil Wolin Ph.D.

Riddles/Jokes

• Would You Rather Book For Kids - 300+ Hilarious, Silly, and Challenging Questions To Make You Laugh by Stephen J. Ellis

Mad Libs (interactive and includes writing)

• Gross Me Out Mad Libs: World's Greatest Word Game by Gabriella DeGennaro

What are we missing? Please let us know!