Summer is coming up soon, which means people are already starting to think about the fun activities they are going to participate in and where they might want to vacation come summer break. Summer is the season when it gets extremely hot, so most people are thinking of spending most of their summer at the pool or beach. Some people might not have the luxury of going out a bunch during summer break so they might need to find fun things to do while at home.
An activity that is fun and beneficial is reading. Reading can be fun for everyone who has really sat down and tried to get through an entire book. When students can figure out what book genres they enjoy, reading becomes 10 times more fun. Reading is also beneficial to the brain because people are actively expanding their vocabulary and learning new things when reading. So, reading over the summer is a fun activity that everyone should try this summer.
For students, summer break is also about regaining peace that may have been lost during the school year and physically/mentally taking care of oneself. Reading is another way to take care of oneself mentally because reading naturally improves mental health. Reading can help escape any stressful situations someone is going through and help with relaxation because of how focused one needs to be to read. Especially when someone is really enjoying the book they are reading, they can easily get lost in the book and forget about everything else.
“Whenever I read, it always helps me think about only the book I’m reading so then all of my worries instantly go away, and it’s very calming, especially over the summer,” said Rihanna Edwards, a freshman.
Reading is also a way for students to engage their brains in an educational way over the summer when they are most likely to forget what they learned during the previous school year. It enhances their comprehension, improves memory, and exposes people to new information about many different topics.
No one wants to do schoolwork over the break, so reading can be a fun way to keep growing educationally.
Studies consistently show that children who participate in summer reading during summer break enhance their reading skills. It also improves their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. “My mom has my little sister read books every day and it helps her with her comprehension and even social skills, and that’s cool how much she can improve just by reading,” said Aaliyah O’Keefe, a freshman.
It can also be very calming for people to read books during summer break because of how much focus reading requires. Some people can struggle with finding ways to calm down or relax and probably have never thought that reading could be a big help. It reduces stress and quiets racing thoughts to allow people to calm down when reading.
