Read Aloud 15 Minutes launches their “Seize the Summer” campaign today, reminding parents that children don’t stop growing during the summer, so they shouldn’t stop learning either! The campaign encourages parents to include books on their list of summer essentials, use reading as a source of exploration and adventures, and soak up the stories along with the sunshine.
Read Aloud 15 Minutes is a national non-profit organization that is working to make reading aloud every day for at least 15 minutes the new standard in child care.
“We want to change social norms,” says Read Aloud co-founder Dr. Candace Kendle. “We want to see reading aloud every day for 15 minutes become one of the essential routines of child care, as normal as daily tooth brushing.”
When every child is read aloud to for 15 minutes every day from birth, more children will be ready to learn when they enter kindergarten, more children will have the literacy skills needed to succeed in school, and more children will be prepared for a productive and meaningful life after school.
The summer campaign specifically seeks to combat what’s commonly known as the summer slide or summer learning loss. “The National Summer Learning Association estimates that two months of learning may be lost over the summer months, and low-income children are especially vulnerable,” says Read Aloud Executive Director, Bob Robbins. “We believe that reading aloud every day can not only stop learning loss, but actually build knowledge and skills.”
Visit www.readaloud.org for a variety of resources and tips for reading aloud this summer and all year long!
