Is your once-promising summer reading routine unraveling fast? You’re not alone. By mid-summer, even the most enthusiastic readers can lose steam—and that’s okay.
In this episode of the Engaging Reluctant Readers Podcast, Ellen Westbrook offers a compassionate, realistic approach to navigating the mid-summer reading slump. Whether your child is avoiding books, glued to screens, or just plain bored, you’ll find gentle, guilt-free strategies to help them reconnect with reading without forcing a thing.
What You’ll Learn:
☑️ Why the summer slump is normal—and not your fault
☑️ How to identify what’s really making reading hard right now
☑️ Practical, low-pressure ways to make reading feel fresh again
☑️ Small habit shifts that reset your rhythm before school starts
⏳ Key Episode Highlights:
[00:01:14] Reframing the “slump” as a mid-season reset
[00:02:20] One simple question to uncover what’s making reading hard
[00:02:51] Novelty-based ideas to reignite interest (yes—even reading in the bathtub!)
[00:03:26] When to say yes to rereads, audiobooks, or “silly” books
[00:04:12] One small habit to focus on before school starts
[00:05:09] Encouragement to reset without guilt—and keep the tone light
[00:05:21] Sneak peek at next week’s episode
📖 Prefer to Read? Full blog post: https://engagingreluctantreaders.com/2025/07/31/mid-summer-reading-slump/
📺 Prefer to Watch? YouTube video version: https://youtu.be/dlLpi-uQIJ8
✨ FREEBIE ALERT!
Grab your Reading Bucket List Bundle with 164 inspiring ideas to help your child read their way—anytime, anywhere.
📥 Get it here → https://engagingreluctantreaders.m-pages.com/bucketlistbundle
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It helps get this podcast out in front of more moms that need to hear it, so we can help more reluctant readers learn to love books and put an end to the nightly battles around reading!
Resources:
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