Sunshine, popsicles, swimsuits, green grass, parks, camping and more. Yup, summertime is pretty glorious! However, lurking in the cool shadows of those beautifully leafy trees is a horrible danger. It is often referred to as the “summer slide”. No, this isn’t you typical slide found at a playground, what I am referring to is children who neglect to practice reading over the summer and have their reading skills “slide down” or get rusty.
It can be hard to even remember to read when the warm outdoors are calling your name and road trips are around the corner, however it is just as important as ever to get some practice in. Below are some suggestions of ways that you can encourage your children to read during the summer and hopefully even enjoy it. Besides, summer reading can be just as wonderful as reading during any other time of the year.
READ OUTSIDE
Why not let the great outdoors and the wonderful world of reading collide? One of my favorite places to read is outside in my lawn chair with a cold soda and my sunglasses on. Also, picnics, the beach, parks, and make-shift outdoor forts are all wonderful places to read outside. Give it a try!
TAKE BOOKS ON TRIPS
Yes, that’s right, take a book or two on your trip. You would be surprised at all the opportunities there are for your child to read while on a trip Some perfect examples are down time while waiting in line, at the airports or even in the hotel when they are reading and waiting for everyone else (Hey! It could happen!) Another way to incorporate reading on vacation is to keep your bedtime routine of reading before bed. It may even help children, especially younger ones, fall asleep due to the familiarity of the routine. One more idea is to take nonfiction books that correlate with your trip and use them as reference books throughout your experiences.
AUDIO BOOKS
If you have commenting to do through the summer, for sports or anything really, or if you go on any long road trips pop an audio book on. It is a great way to pass time and also can help keep young children from getting too bored and acting out. Audio books are also a fantastic way to enjoy books together.
FAMILY FIELD TRIPS
Another fun activity in the summertime is to plan your own local field trips. They could be anywhere from visiting the zoo to a local museum. In preparation for your field trip check out some books centered around the topic of the place you are going. For example, check out a bunch of nonfiction books about animals at your zoo to study before going or check out books that relate to the topic of the current exhibit at your museum. It will really enhance your child’s educational experience as well as get them excited about heading out.
JOIN A LOCAL SUMMER READING PROGRAM
I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that most every local library has a summer reading program. I know that ours does and that it gets quite a bit of participation from our community every year. They usually involve reading goals or reading lists along with drawings for prizes. It is a fun way to keep kids motivated to read and they get that sense of community and unity as they do a program along with other children locally. There are also other free reading programs around if you know where to look. Sometimes bookstores will host one, or other businesses and many school districts will even have something in place.
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