From our Literacy Specialist

The Importance of Holiday Reading Practice

Regular reading over the holidays plays a big role in helping children maintain the skills they have worked so hard to build during the school year. When reading routines stop for several weeks, it’s common for students (especially developing readers) to experience a “summer slide,” where their reading fluency, confidence, and vocabulary slip backwards. Even a small amount of consistent reading can help prevent this.

One of the most effective ways to keep skills strong is repeated reading. When children reread familiar texts, they become more confident, fluent, and automatic with words. This builds accuracy, strengthens comprehension, and helps create a smoother, more enjoyable reading experience.

Holiday reading doesn’t need to be long or complicated. Short, regular sessions, even 10–15 minutes a few times a week, can make a meaningful difference. Reading together, taking turns, or revisiting favourite books all help keep skills fresh and set children up for a positive start in the new school year. Encouraging a relaxed, enjoyable reading routine over the break helps children return to school feeling confident and ready to keep growing as readers. 

Your local library is a great place to explore over the break, and librarians can be a wonderful wealth of knowledge for building engagement in particular types of texts or stories for your child. If your child is in Prep – Grade 4 this year, they will have ongoing access to our online platform, Decodable Readers Australia, where they can continue to access decodable texts to help support maintenance of their hard-earned skills! The texts start from very early alphabet work through to short chapter books! Login details should be in your child’s journal.

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable break, with a moment to relax with a book of two!