According to the American Library Association's website there are many benefits of participating in a summer reading program including:
1) Encourages participants to make reading a life-long habit
2) Reluctant readers can be drawn in because of the activities
3) Helps keep reading skills up
4) Generates interest in books and libraries
5) Provides fun and family time!
Children who do not read over the summer experience a significant drop in key reading skills during the summer months. The absence of summer reading begins to add up as students do not "catch up" when they get back to school. The other students keep moving forward with their reading skills, and there is no opportunity to make up for the lost time. Many studies have shown that reading over the summer helps to prevent summer reading loss.
It is so important that we as teachers provide our students and their families with resources and information about the summer reading programs in your community. They are often run by the local public library or bookstores.
For example, here is the website for the Provo City Library's Summer reading program. Registration begins on June 1st!