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.
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:
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.
Caregivers 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.
This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity for thought and insight. Talk about what you liked and what you didn’t. This is a great opportunity to practice discussing differing opinions!
Encourage your children to choose the material that they want to read. Remember reading is reading! Adults tend to discourage graphic novels or silly stories such as Captain Underpants, but this is the perfect opportunity to discuss why these stories interest your child and to explore the books together!
Listen to them in the car, or turn off the TV and have the family listen to them together.
Melrose Public Library sponsors summer reading 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.
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. This is a great opportunity to help them further explore a topic of interest.
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.
Take advantage of the environmental print around you! Show your children how to read a map, and once you are on the road, let them take turns being the navigator...just be sure you know where you’re going!
Tape in souvenirs of your family's summer activities. Some examples include picture postcards, ticket stubs, and photos. Have your children write the captions next to the artifacts and ask them to read the captions aloud as you look through the book together. Scrapbooks are a great place to encourage adding journal entries too.
Adapted from: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/summer-reading-tips-parents
Ask questions while reading:
*Ask Who, What, Where, When, Why questions while reading. For example, you may say, “What’s the name of this? Who was in the story? Where did the story take place?” Wh- questions teach children new vocabulary