It’s hard to believe summer is already here! Most of our kiddos have wrapped up the school year and are ready for summer break. What is your family’s summer plans? Many of us have already started planning family vacations, summer camp, and other seasonal activities, but how many of us have considered summer reading? While summer is a time when most of our kids get a vacation from school, this need not mean they have a vacation from reading. How can you help your child avoid the summer reading slump? Red Apple Reading has a few suggestions!
Library Reading Programs
Most public libraries offer summer reading programs to their younger patrons. Many times these involve a theme, prizes, and weekly activities. The CSLP’s (Collaborative Summer Library Program) 2013 summer reading slogan for children is Dig Into Reading. Check your local library to see if they are using this theme or one of their own choosing. Either way, your child will love the challenge and fun that comes along with a summer reading program.
Book Clubs
Adults are typically the attendees at book club gatherings. This summer, why not host a book club for your children and their friends? Summer vacation usually lasts a few months. Each month, pick a book (or two) and gather together for a good discussion. With a bit of creative thinking, you can put together a book club meeting that is both fun and educational. For instance, you could serve refreshments that reflect the theme of the book you choose. Book themed games and crafts could also be a fun addition to your meeting. Be sure to have some thought provoking questions and discussion topics to get the kids started. After attending their first book club meeting, your kids will be eager for the next gathering to roll around!
Parent’s Choice
This is an idea I came up with a couple of summers ago. There are several books that I want my children to read before they leave the house, but they probably would not normally choose them on their own. I decided that summer was the perfect time to have my kiddos read some books assigned by Mom! This usually only involves a couple of books each (they normally read quite a bit, so this isn’t a stretch ) and the titles chosen are based on age and reading ability. For example, my daughters each read an age-appropriate biography about someone I really admired and would like them to learn from. My son (who was 7 at the time) and I read C.S. Lewis’, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe together. This is a tradition I plan to carry on for as long as I have kids in the house (which will be a long time!) because it not only keeps them reading, but it also gives me the opportunity to share some good stories with them.
Summer break is a time that parents and children both look forward to each year. It is good for our kiddos to have a vacation from the daily grind of school. Just remember, a vacation from school doesn’t mean that we suspend all educational activities! Your little one will be better prepared to enter her classroom in the fall if she has had a summer filled with reading good books!
