Missouri students can keep their reading skills sharp over the summer months by joining the “Read MOre, Missouri!” reading challenge. 

“Kids who read during the summer are much more likely to retain the skills they gained during the school year,” says Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “’Read MOre, Missouri!’ encourages children to read for pleasure and can help reach the goals of Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 initiative.”

The reading challenge is an effort to prevent “summer slide,” the loss of learning skills that many students experience during their break from classes. Experts say that reading just six books during the summer can keep students from regressing and having to catch up once school begins again in the fall. Parents are encouraged to read aloud to their children and to have their kids read something every day.

There are many ways to select the texts to share with children. School and public librarians are a great resource, and there are numerous book lists. The goal is to engage children with reading lots of different kinds of books (or magazines, short articles, even websites). The best way to build reading skills is to read!

The Department is encouraging every district to take part.