You might think that I’m a bit “off” posting about something that has to do with Summer when we’re hardly into Spring. Trust me, Summer will be here before you know it. Memorial Day weekend, the “unofficial start to Summer” is just a few weeks away.
It’s never too soon to think about what you are going to do with your family over the summer. Many families already have their entire summer vacation already plotted out.
There is a lot of “down time” during the summer which is a great time for children to do a little summer reading. As a mom to a “reluctant reader” I know that getting my child to read is often easier said then done. I’ve done just about everything to get him to read, from buying him books I think he’d love to rewarding him for reading. So far nothing has worked. 🙁
Alyssa Vincent, a blogger in Salt Lake City, wrote a very interesting article that she granted me permission to share with my readers. Alyssa is an avid reader and is always looking for ways to share her passion for reading with little brother. I am going to try some of her tips to see if I can pass on my love of reading to my children too.
Eleven Tips to Make Summer Reading Fun
With the school year coming to a close, it’s never too early for parents to start planning for summer reading opportunities. According to StudyDog, an online reading program for kindergarten through third grade, for many children the summer can cause learning setbacks that might take weeks or even months to overcome in the fall.
StudyDog has 12 tips for keeping summer reading fun:
1.) Pick books on topics that interest your kids. If your kid is fascinated by dinosaurs, pick up books on the brontosaurus and velociraptors. It will keep them both entertained and reading at the same time.
2.) After reading a book, do an activity that relates to it. This can be as simple as drawing a picture or acting out a scene with costumes. Take it a step further by visiting a place that relates to the book like the zoo if the book is about animals. Tying an activity to what was read and then talking about it can help with further comprehension.
3.) Kids love playing on the computer. Further their reading skills by using an online system like StudyDog. The exercises are fun and adapt to specific needs for learning reading basics and beyond. Apple Computer founder Steve Wozniack called it “the best educational software I have ever seen. Period.”
4.) Always have plenty of paper and writing supplies on hand. Practicing writing is one of the best ways to develop reading skills.
5.) Get a magazine subscription geared toward children. It’s something they can look forward to receiving in the mail each month. Some popular titles include Highlights for Children, National Geographic Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Your Big Backyard and Cricket.
6.) Start a daily routine of spending at least 15 to 20 minutes reading. By reading each day kids will learn to look forward to that time and advance their reading skills.
7.) Make a goal to learn one or two new words each day. Talk about the words and their meaning. Practice spelling them and using them in different sentences.
8.) Find as many places as possible to practice reading in day-to-day life. Read things like menus, road signs and cereal boxes. Make a game out of it and be on the lookout for a certain word each day.
9.) Get involved with your local library and the activities they offer like reading groups and story hours. Let kids have their own library card so they feel a sense of ownership in the books they check out.
10.) Be a strong role model by spending time reading. Kids who see parents reading books, magazines and newspapers will more likely take up the activities.
11.) Summer is one of the best times for travel. Take reading on the road by listening to audio books as you drive to your destination. Fill a bag with books and other activities for quiet times when kids are looking for something to do.
Implementing these tips will help your child continue to grow in their excitement for reading and help them be prepared for class when school begins this fall.
Do YOU have any great tips that you can share that helped your child get into summer reading? Please feel free to share what worked, or didn’t work, for you. I always enjoy hearing from my readers.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own. The article is copyrighted to Alyssa Vincent and posted here with permission.