Summer reading – why is it so important?

With the constant demands of daily life, it isn’t always easy to find the time to read but the summer holidays can be the perfect time to rekindle the reading habit and escape into a good book; from the comfort of our sofa or sun lounger, we can be transported to new worlds, meet new people and have incredible adventures.

But did you know that, for young people, reading for pleasure over the summer holidays has even more benefits? Reading is one of the key ways to ensure that pupils maintain and improve academic progress over the long break.

With that in mind, we asked Head Librarian, Miss Brooks, what difference reading can make, and how we can encourage pupils to read more when they are not in school. 

Miss Brooks said: “The academic benefits are clear.

“Reading for just 20 minutes a day exposes a child to 1.8 million words annually; an incredible statistic that means that keen readers have a vocabulary up to 26% larger than a non-reader. It’s no surprise that a study by the UCL Institute of Education has therefore concluded that children who read daily score higher in school tests.”

It’s not just about the academic benefits though. Reading helps all of us – from young children to older adults – make sense of the world around us; it introduces us to different viewpoints and helps us see things from other perspectives. This ultimately helps us become more empathetic, which is crucial for building relationships, improving communication and leadership, and fostering positive social interactions.

Miss Brooks continues: “Reading for pleasure is linked to improved wellbeing, offering a boost to mental and emotional health. Some studies even suggest that 30 minutes of reading per day can even help you live longer!”

So, how do we encourage young people to make this summer a summer of reading?

The annual Summer Reading Challenge at your local library is a great start. After all, there are certificates and prizes to be won!

The Cheshire West and Cheshire Summer Reading Challenge is open to all children up to 12 years old and is themed around nature and the outdoors. There is even a challenge especially for teens and adults.  Find out more here. 

King’s pupils have no excuse for forgetting to take a book on holiday as our eBook and audiobook library is always open!

All Junior School and Senior School pupils have access to Sora, an extensive collection of fiction, non-fiction and magazines, which means that a good book is always on hand, wherever you are this summer! The Sora collection can be accessed here. 

Miss Brooks concludes: “The Sora app is a brilliant resource.

“The app tells me when books are borrowed and I have been hugely encouraged by the number of notifications that keep pinging into my inbox. We are nearing 200 loans so far since the end of term and I would love to see if we can reach 500 – or maybe even more – before September.

“If any pupil reads three or more books (or listens on audiobook) on the Sora app by the end of the school holidays, there may even be a reward waiting for them in the library when we get back to school!”