summer time reading
Summer is just around the corner! I cannot believe it! Where has the year gone !? What comes to mind when you think about summer with your children? Swimming? Barbecues? Family Vacation? This year, why not make sharing books part of your family’s summer fun?
I know what you're thinking: "summer is a time for play, imagination, rest and relaxing. I'm not going to make my kids read when they are supposed to be on vacation enjoying themselves." Most of that is true! Summer is a time to jump and skip about.
There is a commercial that I have seen many times for a learning center, in the commercial there is a boy who has just gone swimming and starts shaking water out of his ear. Well more than just water comes out! You see visual images of everything he’s learned falling out of his ear from mathematics, to social studies. While this is a little farfetched to believe that what your child learned in school will fall out of his or her ears after swimming, the point remains the same. When you don’t practice what you learned, you lose it! So, how can you keep your child from forgetting what they have read or learned throughout this past school year?
Studies have proven that that children of all ages need to be read to or to read by themselves and to talk about books over the summer. When you read or talk to your young child about books, they develop important language skills, understandings about books and print, and knowledge about how stories are constructed that will help them to become a strong reader and writer. Your school-aged child’s summer reading and book discussions will help them maintain their reading skills, improve their reading fluency, and learn new vocabulary and concepts. Reading will NOT keep your child from forgetting all they learned. BUT, it will help, A LOT! Most importantly, when parents and children enjoy summer reading together, children develop a love of books and reading that lasts a lifetime.
Again I know what you are thinking: “This is great! In theory! How can this accomplished? I work, they have summer activities, how or where can we find the time?” Here are three ways to do so:
Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Depending on your family’s schedule, reading time might be in the morning, afternoon or before bed. Whatever time you choose, stick to it, but also remember that flexibility around trips and special family events is OK. Connect read-aloud choices to summer activities. When you read and discuss books about things your child has experienced, you help them extend their understanding of experiences. Take books along on outings. Pack books in your beach bag or picnic basket, and bring a stack on long car rides. You and your child can enjoy books together anywhere you go this summer.
Just as true with anything you do in life, where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you want your children to read this summer, it will happen! I wish you all the best summer yet!
Have an Adventurous summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of: The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear Encounter at Jellyfish Cove
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear
@lorenzothebear
I know what you're thinking: "summer is a time for play, imagination, rest and relaxing. I'm not going to make my kids read when they are supposed to be on vacation enjoying themselves." Most of that is true! Summer is a time to jump and skip about.
There is a commercial that I have seen many times for a learning center, in the commercial there is a boy who has just gone swimming and starts shaking water out of his ear. Well more than just water comes out! You see visual images of everything he’s learned falling out of his ear from mathematics, to social studies. While this is a little farfetched to believe that what your child learned in school will fall out of his or her ears after swimming, the point remains the same. When you don’t practice what you learned, you lose it! So, how can you keep your child from forgetting what they have read or learned throughout this past school year?
Studies have proven that that children of all ages need to be read to or to read by themselves and to talk about books over the summer. When you read or talk to your young child about books, they develop important language skills, understandings about books and print, and knowledge about how stories are constructed that will help them to become a strong reader and writer. Your school-aged child’s summer reading and book discussions will help them maintain their reading skills, improve their reading fluency, and learn new vocabulary and concepts. Reading will NOT keep your child from forgetting all they learned. BUT, it will help, A LOT! Most importantly, when parents and children enjoy summer reading together, children develop a love of books and reading that lasts a lifetime.
Again I know what you are thinking: “This is great! In theory! How can this accomplished? I work, they have summer activities, how or where can we find the time?” Here are three ways to do so:
Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Depending on your family’s schedule, reading time might be in the morning, afternoon or before bed. Whatever time you choose, stick to it, but also remember that flexibility around trips and special family events is OK. Connect read-aloud choices to summer activities. When you read and discuss books about things your child has experienced, you help them extend their understanding of experiences. Take books along on outings. Pack books in your beach bag or picnic basket, and bring a stack on long car rides. You and your child can enjoy books together anywhere you go this summer.
Just as true with anything you do in life, where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you want your children to read this summer, it will happen! I wish you all the best summer yet!
Have an Adventurous summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of: The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear Encounter at Jellyfish Cove
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear
@lorenzothebear
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