Summer Reading Ideas!

Summer Reading Tips for Parents

Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read will gain skills.

  

Efforts should be made during the summer to help children sustain reading skills, practice reading and read for enjoyment.
Reading builds visualization, thinking and language abilities. Taking the time to read with your child can help you evaluate your child's reading skills. If you discover that your child is having trouble with reading, he or she may have a learning disability. 80% of children with a learning disability have difficulty with basic reading and language. But early identification of such a disability gives a child the chance to develop ways to learn how to read effectively, and skills to lead a successful and productive life. A recent National Institutes of Health study showed that 67% of young students at risk for reading difficulties became average or above average readers after receiving help in the early grades.
Parents should remember that children need free time in the summer to relax and enjoy the pleasures of childhood. So summer reading should be fun. Following are a few tips to make reading enjoyable for your children this summer:

1. Read aloud together with your child every day.

Make it fun by reading outdoors on the front steps, patio, at the beach or park. Also, let your children read to you. For younger children, point out the relationship between words and sounds.

2. Set a good example!

Parents must be willing to model behavior for their children. Keep lots of reading material around the house. Turn off the TV and have each person read his or her book, including mom and dad.

3. Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it.

This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity for thought and insight.

4. Let kids choose what they want to read, and don't turn your nose up at popular fiction.

It will only discourage the reading habit.

5. Buy books on tape, especially for a child with a learning disability.

Listen to them in the car, or turn off the TV and have the family listen to them together.

6. Take your children to the library regularly.

Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs with easy-to-reach goals for preschool and school-age children. Check the library calendar for special summer reading activities and events. Libraries also provide age appropriate lists for summer reading.

7. Subscribe, in your child's name, to magazines like Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights for Children, or National Geographic World.

Encourage older children to read the newspaper and current events magazines, to keep up the reading habit over the summer and develop vocabulary. Ask them what they think about what they've read, and listen to what they say.

8. Ease disappointment over summer separation from a favorite school friend by encouraging them to become pen pals.

Present both children with postcards or envelopes that are already addressed and stamped. If both children have access to the Internet, email is another option.

9. Make trips a way to encourage reading by reading aloud traffic signs, billboards, notices.

Show your children how to read a map, and once you are on the road, let them take turns being the navigator.

10. Encourage children to keep a summer scrapbook.

Tape in souvenirs of your family's summer activities picture postcards, ticket stubs, photos. Have your children write the captions and read them and read them aloud as you look at the book together.


By: Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities 
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/summer-reading-tips-parents

Ideas to help with writing at home! :)

If you are wondering about some great ways that you can support your child's spelling and writing at home, please read below:

Urge your child to tell what his or her picture

or writing says, advises Lori Jamison Rog, an

educational consultant in Toronto, Ontario, and

author of Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching

Beginning Writing

About spelling

As children begin to sound out words, they often 

invent spelling. For example, your child might write

kat  instead of cat. 

Don’t panic and go overboard correcting the

spelling. “Invented, temporary, or phonetic spelling is

absolutely critical for young writers, as it helps them

construct their knowledge of how our language

goes together,” says Rog.  Research shows that children

who use invented spelling  become better spellers later on than children who are pressured to be “correct” from the star.

Writing for life
Support your children’s literacy development by making writing a part of everyday life: Have them print their names on cards and letters, write or draw thank-you notes to a family member, and help write the grocery list.  Look especially for opportunities to link writing activities to reading. Proficiency in both improves each time your child grips a pencil and strives to
print his or her name.

from: Writing Activities for Young Readers http://reading.org/Libraries/parents/pb1072_activities.pdf

 

Once again this year we celebrated


Read Across America Week!


                                        

The children had such a great time reading favorite Dr. Seuss books in their classrooms this past week! 
They listened to guest readers share books on Wednesday, and enjoyed wearing fun hats, socks and pajama day too!
This week certainly promoted literacy in an enjoyable and positive way!


Here are just a few special spectacular Seuss quotes to share:

"Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot.  Nothing is going to get better.  It's NOT." (The Lorax)

"Today you are YOU!  That is truer than TRUE!  There is no one alive that is you-er than YOU!" (Happy Birthday to You!)

"...A person's a person...no matter how small." (Horton Hears a Who)

"You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose."  (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)





(from http://www.seussville.com/books/book_detail.php?isbn=9780394800011)
(from www.earlymoments.com)

10 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Kids

As a parent, you have the power to boost your children's learning potential simply by making books an integral part of their lives.

We all know reading to our kids is a good thing—but are you familiar with the specific advantages your  child can receive by being exposed to the merits of reading? Below are some benefits that highlight the importance of reading to your child.

A stronger relationship with you. As your child grows older, he’ll be on the move—playing, running, and constantly exploring his environment. Snuggling up with a book lets the two of you slow down and recaptures that sweet, cuddly time you enjoyed when he was a baby. Instead of being seen as a chore or a task, reading will become a nurturing activity that will bring the two of you closer together.

Academic excellence. One of the primary benefits of reading to toddlers and preschoolers is a higher aptitude for learning in general. Numerous studies have shown that students who are exposed to reading before preschool are more likely to do well in all facets of formal education.

Basic speech skills. Throughout toddlerhood and preschool, your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills. By listening to you read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, your child is reinforcing the basic sounds that form language. “Pretend reading”—when a toddler pages through a book with squeals and jabbers of delight—is a very important pre-literacy activity. As a preschooler, your child will likely begin sounding out words on his own.

The basics of how to read a book. Children aren’t born with an innate knowledge that text is read from left to right, or that the words on a page are separate from the images. Essential pre-reading skills like these are among the major benefits of early reading.

Better communication skills. When you spend time reading to toddlers, they’ll be much more likely to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy way. By witnessing the interactions between the characters in the books you read, as well as the contact with you during story time, your child is gaining valuable communication skills.


Mastery of language. Early reading for toddlers has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age.

More logical thinking skills. Another illustration of the importance of reading to children is their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios, recognize cause and effect, and utilize good judgment. As your toddler or preschooler begins to relate the scenarios in books to what’s happening in his own world, he’ll become more excited about the stories you share.

Acclamation to new experiences. As your child approaches a major developmental milestone or a potentially stressful experience, sharing a relevant story is a great way to help ease the transition. For instance, if your little one is nervous about starting preschool, reading a story dealing with this topic shows her that her anxiety is normal.

Enhanced concentration and discipline.  Along with reading comprehension comes a stronger self-discipline, longer attention span, and better memory retention, all of which will serve your child well when she enters school.

The knowledge that reading is fun! Early reading  helps them view books as an indulgence, not a chore. Kids who are exposed to reading are much more likely to choose books over video games, television, and other forms of entertainment as they grow older.
Books have the power to benefit in a myriad of ways. As a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him with a foundation for academic excellence.


Content From:  https://www.earlymoments.com/Promoting-Literacy-and-a-Love-of-Reading/Why-Reading-to-Children-is-Important/