It’s a well known fact that children who don’t read, or don’t read “enough”, during the summer can lose up to three months of progress made over the school year. This loss can have a cumulative, long-term negative effect. So what to do? Get creative.
Common at this time of year are many articles encouraging parents to enroll their children in summer reading programs at the local public library. These programs are wonderful and help young readers maintain their progress. However, in this day and age when many families are super busy during the summer with sports camps, writing camps, music camps, family vacations or other opportunities not available during the school year, there simply is not time to consistently visit the local library. Two organizations have taken summer reading programs online.
- Scholastic has a summer reading program. Kids are encouraged to read and celebrate their reading achievements, meet Scholastic characters, and more.
- The New York Public Library also hosts a variety of summer reading events. We recommend signing up for their NYPL Kids Newsletter for updates on reading programs.
Other ideas:
- For younger children, build a story tree over the summer. This is a simple idea using construction paper to cut out a bare tree truck. Tape it to a wall or some other frequented place. If you’re traveling a lot, affix it to the inside top of your child’s suitcase so every time he opens it, he is encouraged to read. As your child completes a book, have him cut out a leaf-shape from green paper. Have him write the name of the book completed on the leaf and paste it on the tree. Enjoy watching the tree come to life over the summer. Is your child into trains? Instead of a tree, build a train with lots of rail cars over the summer. Nature? Construct a hillside with lots of flowers. Use your imagination.
- For older children, using a book that your child has selected, have her make a puppet of each main character.Simple sock puppets with yarn hair and felt features make for wonderful acted-out adventures. Have your child act out the story, or invent a new adventure for the characters. Contact the author and let him know about the fun and adventures his characters are having in your home. Contacts for most authors are found easily in a variety of social media outlets. Authors LOVE to hear from their readers (I know, from personal experience!!). And don’t forget to Like, Follow or whatever the social media vehicle allows, while you’re there.
- Engage grandparents in summer reading. Skype is a free tool and easy to hook up. All you need is a web cam and computer microphone (already built into many computers). Select a book to read and have grandparents get a copy. Alternate reading portions of the same book to each other between grandparent and child weekly, throughout the summer. No doubt grandparents will treasure the time spent with their grandchildren… And think of the memories created.
- Go on a field trip to a place like one mentioned in your child’s book. If your child is reading a book with an airplane/airport, make a visit to your local airport and watch the planes take off and land. If the book has a fancy restaurant as part of a major scene, take him out to experience what his character might have experienced. Stay “in-character” wherever you go. Have fun with it!
- Coordinate with families in your school community or neighborhood. No doubt all parents want to encourage their children to strengthen their reading muscles over the summer. Arrange to share books with other families or even arrange for regular get-togethers over the summer to have all the kids who have read the same book act it out or do something else in keeping with the theme of the book.
As your child completes each book, flex his writing muscle by reviewing the book online. Post their review at Amazon, Goodreads, Barnesandnoble.com and other booksellers. Seeing their review in print/online will encourage your child to read more.
L. R. W. Lee is the author of the middle grade fantasy adventure, Andy Smithson: Blast of the Dragon’s Fury, Book 1. This is the first in a planned 7-book, coming-of-age series that not only entertains 8- to 12-year-olds, but also weaves throughout the plot life principles that author Lee hopes will help her reader live a more peaceful and enjoyable life; some of these principles include overcoming frustration, impatience, fear and more.
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The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
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