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 less likely to lose the skills they gained during the school year,” says Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro. “Read MOre, Missouri!” can instill the joy of reading in our children and 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 books—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 distributing materials to Missouri school districts and encouraging every district to take part.