Watching your child struggle with reading can feel overwhelming any time of year — but summer often adds an extra layer of stress. Without consistent practice, many children lose reading progress over the summer months, which can make starting a new school year feel even more frustrating for struggling readers.
The good news? Supporting your child’s reading this summer does not have to mean turning your home into a classroom. Small, consistent habits can make a huge difference over time.
Here are five simple but powerful ways to support your struggling reader this summer.
1. Take them to the library weekly
Did you know that having a steady stream of new books to read can dramatically increase a child’s interest in reading? For many kids, novelty matters. New topics, fresh characters, and the excitement of picking out books themselves can reignite motivation.
The library is one of the best free tools parents have access to. Make it part of your weekly routine — even if your child only leaves with a few books. Let them choose books that genuinely interest them, even if they feel “too easy,” repetitive, or unconventional.
Graphic novels, joke books, animal facts, cookbooks, and beginner chapter books all count. The goal is helping your child associate reading with enjoyment, not pressure.
2. Use Audiobooks Daily
Many parents underestimate how powerful audiobooks can be for struggling readers. Listening to stories helps children build vocabulary, comprehension, background knowledge, and fluency–all critical pieces of becoming a stronger reader.
Audiobooks also allow children to access stories that may be above their current reading level independently, which can be incredibly empowering. Try incorporating audiobooks into everyday moments like in the car, during quiet time, at bedtime, while coloring or building, or even during meal time. Listening to stories still counts as meaningful literacy exposure, and for some children, it can help rebuild confidence around books.
3. Build Reading Stamina Slowly
Reading stamina is a lot like physical endurance. You wouldn’t expect someone to hop on a treadmill and instantly run for an hour – and the same is true for young readers.
For struggling readers, even 10 minutes of independent reading can feel mentally exhausting. Instead of focusing only on accuracy or speed, focus on helping them gradually increase the amount of time they can comfortably sustain reading.
Start small — maybe 5 focused minutes, then gradually build to 8, 10, 12, and beyond. And whenever possible, make reading feel fun and inviting. Set up a cozy reading fort, grab flashlights, or pile blankets outside in the backyard for a special reading picnic. Sometimes something as simple as changing the environment can completely shift a child’s attitude toward reading.
Celebrate progress along the way. The goal is consistency, not perfection.
4. Keep Reading Time Low Pressure
Learning to read requires an enormous cognitive load. Children are simultaneously sounding out words, recognizing patterns, comprehending meaning, remembering rules, and trying to maintain confidence while doing it all.
That’s a lot.
When reading becomes stressful, children often begin to avoid it altogether. One of the best things you can do is create a supportive, low-pressure environment where mistakes are viewed as part of learning. Try taking turns reading pages, using echo reading, helping with difficult words before frustration builds, and praising effort instead of perfection. It also helps to keep books in lots of everyday spaces around the house — on the coffee table, in the car, or on the kitchen island — so reading feels natural instead of forced.
The goal is not just raising a reader — it’s raising a child who believes they can read.
5. Have a Plan for Summer Reading
Research consistently shows that many children lose reading progress over the summer months when they aren’t regularly engaged with books. For struggling readers especially, those gaps can feel even bigger when school starts back up in the fall.
The solution doesn’t have to be complicated, rigid, or time consuming. Even small amounts of consistent reading can help maintain progress.
If you need a little extra structure, this is exactly why i’ve created resources like The Sandbox, The Simple Summer Reading Plan, and our Beloved Books subscription to help families make reading feel doable, enjoyable, and consistent all summer long.
Final Thoughts
A child’s reading ability impacts every single academic subject, but even more importantly, it impacts their confidence and how they view themselves as learners. Struggling readers don’t just need more practice. They need encouragement, patience, support, and opportunities to experience success. Small moments truly add up. And the way we help children feel about reading today can shape how they approach learning for years to come.
Written by Becca Thiemann and Kelsey Jaspers
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