Before the Concrete Sets: Summer, New Readers, and Screen Time

Sam had been out of school for a week and was already, in his words, “so bored,” despite the thoughtful logistics his parents had put in place to prevent exactly that. One afternoon, he pestered his granddad into letting him play with his iPad for the 30 minutes allowed for such activity. When time was up and his grandad took back the iPad, “He whined like a Sam I did not recognize!”

Alarmed at this display of “device addiction” (his nonprofessional diagnosis), Sam’s granddad brainstormed with his son and daughter-in-law about alternatives, and suggested taking Sam to the library to participate in the annual summer reading program in an effort to help “de-screen him.” The program involved some of Sam’s buddies from school—the social aspect was appealing—and he had learned to enjoy “library dates” with his grandma the year before, so libraries came with a good vibe.

Summer's Unstructured Time

Summer’s unstructured time invokes worry for many parents. In too many households, that means screen time balloons, while reading, along with other healthier cognitive pursuits, shrinks. For new readers, this is an especially bad trade-off. Moderate to excessive screen time can quickly erode recently acquired cognitive skills in reasoning, creativity, and emotional intelligence. The rapidity with which the brain is growing makes it even more important to establish strong foundations in these areas now, before that cement cures.

What Sam loved about “library dates” was spending time reading with his grandma, as well as the ability to choose books that worked for him as a pre-reader, which he could then “read,” or at least share, with someone he loves. That started him on the path of loving reading as a social and learning experience; what a gift. It helped him appreciate that reading need not always feel like work, a common affliction in kindergarten and beyond for far too many children.

Books and Emotional Intelligence

It often surprises parents to learn that their child’s emotional intelligence is nurtured by their time with books, especially when it is interactive. When the reader identifies with characters in the book who feel like them, even though they may not look like them, it fosters empathy. When those characters have adventures or mishaps or solve a problem, it all becomes grist for their child’s mill. When they share and summarize the content for a parent or sibling, they flex their developing critical thinking skills. Screen time can’t come close to this kind of authentic skill-building in a growing brain.

Resources and activities for families while the cement is still wet:

1. Keep summer reading enjoyable for new readers. It is not tutoring or homework, or time to “get ahead,” unless your child is driving. Let them dictate the pace.
2. Someone—a parent, caregiver, or older sibling—should read aloud with (not just to) your child every day, especially books that are too challenging for them but in which they retain interest.
3. Have your early reader read, even if they are a pre-reader and their “reading” is more like sharing their interpretation of the story. Younger siblings are a great audience, and just a few minutes each day is plenty.
4. As they take on harder books, make a few flashcards of the vocabulary they will encounter, and play with them beforehand. It makes the challenge manageable—a brain fave!
5. Send your child reading materials (at their reading level) via snail mail addressed to them. It’s always special for young children to receive their own mail.
6. Summer library reading programs can support, entertain, and shamelessly incentivize (pizza, prizes, local fame, etc.). Visiting the library also counts as a screenless outing and reinforces its value and the countless wonders offered by its books.

The benefits of reading for young children are nearly endless, not the least of which is a reduction in claims of “I’m bored” this summer.