Summer Reading Bingo

Sometimes in the summer, it’s easy to forget about reading. There’s sleeping in and lazy days. There’s parks to visit and swimming to do. There’s travel to camps and family time. And, of course, for many kiddos around the country, there are video games to play. Lots and lots of video games.

But, reading should still be part of your summer plans. According to Scholastic.com, a recent study of children in 3rd to 5th grades showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math during summer break.

So, how can you help your student prevent the summer slide? We want to help and have just the thing to share with you.

Summer Reading Bingo!

 

This printable bingo sheet allows you and your child (regardless of age) to track their summer reading. You can set up a competition or you can allow them to do it leisurely. We suggest setting a deadline and adding an incentive that can make this fun for everyone.

For instance, if the deadline is the first day of August and they complete two rows of bingo blocks (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal), they could earn two trips to the local ice cream or snow-cone shop for a treat. Or, if by the first day back to school they have completed the whole sheet, you could offer to take them to the local water park for a fun-in-sun family day over Labor Day weekend.

Regardless of how you choose to utilize our Summer Reading Bingo sheet, the best part is they read books…lots of books! And, they have fun doing it! It’s a win-win!

Of course, you may look at the list and wonder where to find the books to check off the list. First, you can check your school to see if they have a suggested reading list for each grade level and checking with other friends and family about their favorite books is a good idea too, but we also recommend that you take a trip to the local library or your local indie bookstore.

And, what better way for you to be involved as well? Helping your son or daughter find their next picture book or chapter book allows you to partner together to reach a common goal.

We loved making this Summer Reading List, and we hope you are able to use it to encourage the readers in your house all summer long! Just print it off and you’re ready to go!

Be sure to share your success stories with us at the end of the summer! We can’t wait to hear from you!