Summer Reading Tips

What comes to mind when you think about summer with your children? Swimming? Summer camp? Barbecues? Music in the park? This year, why not make sharing books part of your family’s summer fun? Summer offers many unique opportunities to weave literacy into everyday activity with your child.Teachers and literacy experts agree 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 children about books, they develop important language skills, understanding  books and print, and gain knowledge about how stories are constructed.  This  will help them to become  strong readers and  competent writers. Your school-aged children’s summer reading and book discussions will help them maintain their reading skills, improve their reading fluency, and learn new vocabulary and concepts. Most importantly, when parents and children enjoy summer reading together, children develop a love for books and a good reading habit that lasts a lifetime.

Tips for weaving language and literacy activities into your children’s summer days:

· Be a reader yourself. When you read newspapers and books and write letters and lists, you show your young child how reading and writing are useful. By demonstrating why reading and writing are important, you will motivate your child to become a reader and writer.

· Set aside a consistent time each day for reading aloud. Choose a read-aloud time that fits your family’s summer schedule and stick to it every day. Your baby, toddler or young child will look forward to this special time together.

· Read aloud to your reader. As school-aged children become better readers, parents often stop reading aloud to them. However, by reading more difficult books aloud to your reader, you help him/her learn new vocabulary and expressions,  and improve his/her ways of telling stories or presenting information. You also enjoy the closeness of sharing a book with your child.

· Take books along on outings. Pack some board books in your beach bag or picnic basket, and bring a stack of books on long car rides. You and your child can enjoy books together anywhere you go this summer.