Otonga Rd School battling 'summer slide' with reading programme

Otonga Rd Primary School reading log participants choose a prize. Photo / Supplied

Otonga Rd Primary School pupils have hit the ground running this school year after battling the summer slide of reading ability some pupils experience.

Over summer the school ran a Summer Reading Challenge for the first time. As part of the challenge participating pupils filled out a reading log during the holidays.

It was run by library manager Pauline Atkinson who said the log could have included anything and everything.

"Some children lose as much as six months of reading gains over the summer holidays so when they come back they are struggling to catch up on where they were.

"The programme is encouraging them to continue reading so their progress doesn't slip from one year to the next," she said.

"Anything makes a difference; Going to the public library, parents reading aloud to their children ... looking at the TV Guide or cereal box, or doing some cooking and reading the recipe. Even looking at street signs."

Atkinson said roughly 90 children participated in the programme and they hoped to run it again.

"The response was good. It was a great incentive to read."

To celebrate the children who completed the logs, the school held a prize draw, giving away spot prizes and one Chrome Book.

"Reading is such an important skill and we are hoping that incentives to read over the holidays will stop the 'summer slide'," Atkinson said.