SANTA FE — Today, state education agencies announce that registration is open for the 2025 Summer Reading Program, a free initiative designed to serve 15,000 students from incoming kindergarteners to outgoing eighth graders with focused reading instruction in small groups with trained literacy instructors. 

The 2025 Summer Reading Program will run in June and July and is a collaboration between the New Mexico Public Education Department, Higher Education Department and Early Childhood Education and Care Department. Families can sign up for the program on the Summer Reading Program website.

Focused summer instruction can help students catch up on important reading skills and gain the confidence needed for success in all school subjects. While students typically see a significant loss of reading knowledge over the summer break (third to fifth graders lose an average of 20% of the reading progress they made during the previous school year), students who participated in the 2024 Summer Reading Program showed zero summer reading loss and average gains of 4.92%, according to end-of-year and beginning-of-year assessments.

"When students lose reading skills over the summer, it can make the start of the school year more challenging," said Public Education Sec. Mariana D. Padilla. "The 2025 Summer Reading Program helps students return to school confident and prepared to succeed in the classroom."

"The state's Summer Reading Program is essential for equipping students with vital literacy skills over the summer, ensuring they continue to advance their knowledge," said Higher Education Sec. Stephanie M. Rodriguez. "We invite New Mexican families to take advantage of this program to develop literacy and comprehension skills that will enhance their children's academic success and future."

"Strong early literacy skills lay the foundation for a child's academic success and overall development," said Early Childhood Education and Care Department Sec. Elizabeth Groginsky. "The Summer Reading Program provides an invaluable opportunity for incoming kindergarteners and their families to build confidence, foster a love for reading, and strengthen their kindergarten readiness over the summer."

A list of 2025 program locations is available on the Summer Reading Program website. The list will be updated as more partner sites are added.