How to Prevent Summer Reading Loss (Before School Starts)

Every summer, children lose some of the reading skills they built during the school year — a pattern researchers call the "summer slide." For strong readers, this dip is usually minor and bounces back quickly once school resumes. For children who already struggle with reading, dyslexia, or a language-based learning difficulty, summer reading loss can be far more serious, widening a gap that was already hard to close.

With the new school year approaching, now is the ideal window to catch and reverse any slide before it shows up on a report card.

What Is Summer Reading Loss?

Summer reading loss refers to the decline in reading skills that happens when children go weeks or months without regular reading practice or instruction. It affects vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and even foundational decoding skills — especially in children who were already reading below grade level.

Why Struggling Readers Are Hit Hardest

Children who read fluently and enjoy books tend to keep reading informally over the summer, which naturally protects their skills. Children who find reading difficult or frustrating are far less likely to pick up a book voluntarily — which means the break becomes a total pause rather than a light slowdown.

For a child with dyslexia or another reading difficulty, this pause can undo months of hard-won progress from the previous school year, meaning fall often starts with review and catch-up rather than new learning.

Signs Your Child May Be Experiencing Summer Reading Loss

• Noticeably slower or more effortful reading compared to June
• Increased resistance to reading tasks that were manageable before summer
• Forgetting sight words or spelling patterns they had mastered
• Struggling to recall details from something read just minutes earlier
• Avoiding books or reading-related activities altogether

How to Prevent or Reverse Summer Reading Loss

1. Keep Reading Practice Short but Consistent

Fifteen to twenty minutes a day of reading practice is far more effective than an occasional long session. Consistency is what protects skills — not volume.

2. Choose High-Interest, Right-Level Material

A child is far more likely to engage with reading if the material matches both their interests and their actual reading level — not their grade level on paper.

3. Don't Rely on Independent Reading Alone

For children with an existing reading difficulty, unstructured independent reading rarely closes a gap — it can even reinforce bad habits like guessing at words instead of decoding them. Structured, guided practice makes the difference.

4. Get Targeted Support Before Fall, Not After

Waiting until the school year starts to address a reading gap means your child begins the year already behind. Starting structured support during the summer means they can begin the new school year at grade level, or close to it, instead of playing catch-up from week one.

How The Learnability Helps Prevent Summer Reading Loss

At The Learnability, our Reading Intervention program is delivered one-on-one, online, by experienced instructors trained in structured literacy approaches including Orton-Gillingham and the Wilson Reading System.

What sets our summer support apart:

• Experienced, specialist instructors — every tutor is trained in evidence-based, multisensory reading intervention, not general homework help
• Weekly online assessments — we track your child's progress every week, not just at the start and end of the program, so small gains or sticking points are caught early
• Regular feedback reports — parents receive clear, ongoing updates on exactly what's improving and what still needs focus, so you're never left wondering how sessions are going
• Individualized pacing — sessions adjust in real time based on how your child is responding, rather than following a fixed script regardless of progress

This combination means summer sessions don't just prevent backsliding — for many children, summer becomes the period where the most progress happens, since there's no competing homework load and sessions can happen more frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much reading loss is normal over the summer?
Some decline is normal for most children and typically recovers within the first few weeks of school. For children with an existing reading difficulty, the loss can be more significant and slower to recover without targeted support.

Is it too late to start summer support if there are only a few weeks left?
No. Even a few weeks of focused, one-on-one instruction can meaningfully protect skills and build momentum heading into the school year — the key is starting now rather than waiting.

Does my child need a formal diagnosis to start summer reading support?
No. If you've noticed a slide or ongoing struggle, you can start with an assessment and begin targeted support right away, with or without a prior diagnosis.

How often should sessions happen over the summer?
We generally recommend two to three sessions per week during the summer for the best results, though our specialists will recommend a schedule based on your child's specific needs.

Can online tutoring really replace in-person summer reading programs?
Yes. When delivered one-on-one by a trained specialist, online reading intervention produces results comparable to in-person instruction — with the added convenience of no travel and flexible scheduling around summer plans.

Start Now, Not in September

The weeks before school starts are the highest-leverage time to protect your child's reading progress. Waiting until the first report card means starting the school year already behind.

Book your free trial session today, or learn more about our Reading Intervention program.