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Fight the summer slide with these summer reading activities!

The weather is getting warmer and warmer as the days get longer and longer. Pretty soon, the school year will be over and your young readers will spend their days out and about. Summer vacation is approaching faster than you think. It's time to have a plan for keeping students engaged over the summer. Don't let your students fall victim to the summer slide!

1.  Host a "Read in 100 Places" challenge.

There might not be a better medium to transport your child to distant fantasies than a book, but reading in a different environment than the home can add to their imaginations. A little vitamin D keeps them healthy as they read. A tree in a nearby park might just be the secret secluded spot they need to really feel connected to Narnia or Terabithia. Challenge your students to read in a hundred different places this summer! If you need ideas, check out this excellent list by The Measured Mom.

2. Create an alphabet activity checklist based on summer reading books.

Make a list and check it twice. You might not be Santa but you'll be the teacher that got their students to read more this summer than ever before! Compile a list of twenty-six books and list corresponding activities for each one in alphabetical order. Add an irresistible incentive for students to get through the list and give a prize to the students who check every activity off the list! Visit Growing Book by Book for inspiration.

3. Start a virtual summer reading book club.

Virtual reality isn't just a science fiction dream. Build your own virtual book club for your students! Use a website like Moodle to create a forum for your students to share their feedback on book assignments and spark virtual discussions. Students are more likely to read if they feel like they are part of a community, and they'll feel inclined to share if they feel others are listening. You can assign prompts and activities regularly to keep children engaged throughout the entire summer.

4. Plan a summer reading scavenger hunt.

Design a scavenger hunt based on the reading material your students are assigned to over the summer. Have them take pictures of their findings to bring to the class at the beginning of the new school year. Check out Modern Parents Messy Kids for a fun example.

5. Host a game of "Bookopoly".

Board game lovers will go crazy over this summer reading assignment! Design a monopoly board based on different reading challenges you'd like your students to accomplish over the summer. Jump over to Broc's Bookcase for an example game board.

Need help choosing what books to assign for summer reading this year? Check BookPal's Summary Reading Guide for suggestions of popular titles!

This post was written by Michelle Drucker, the chief of staff at BookPal. She is currently reading The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.