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Step 1
Ask all the teachers in your school to have their classes participate in the program. It's important that teachers stand united in the effort to start a summer reading program so that the students will have their summer efforts reinforced in the classroom.
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Step 2
Make a list of reading books for each grade level. Decide if you want to have a short list of books that students must read, or a longer list of books that allows them to choose the titles that most interest them.
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Step 3
Coordinate with area librarians. You should not require students to purchase books, which may put an unnecessary financial burden on families. Instead, talk to local librarians and have them set aside a special section in the library dedicated to books that are on the summer reading program list.
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Step 4
Create an incentive program. These often encourage students to participate beyond the bare minimum. Offer prizes to those students who read a certain number of books and write reports on them.
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Step 5
Announce the program. Make sure that children understand how the summer reading program works and what their teachers expect of them in the fall. Also, you may want to send a letter home to parents to let them know about the program and encourage them to support their children.
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Step 6
Reinforce the lessons learned from reading books when the students return to the classroom in the fall. Hold discussions and offer activities about the books.
