1. READ!!!
2. Keep track of Reading!
3. Talk about it!
Regardless of other activities, the best predictor of summer loss or summer gain is whether or not a child reads during the summer. The best predictor of whether children read is whether or not they have access to books.
Studies suggest that children who read as few as six books over the summer maintain the level of reading skills they achieved during the preceeding school year. Reading more books leads to even greater success. In addition to the Dearborn Public Library, remember that our elementary school media center will be open Thursday afternoons (1:00 -3:30 pm) during the summer and we have our MyOn reading challenge at MyOn.com.
Children also benefit from personal home reading spaces where they can post reading interests, set goals, and tract their reading progress. All they need is a designated area on a chalkboard or wall, tabletop or shelf. Children can use construction paper, large Post-it notes, chart paper, masking tape, boxes, drawers, closets, corkboards, posters, wall calendars, shelf paper, or whatever works in your home. Children can show off their reading interests, favorite books or authors, interesting words, personal goals (number of pages, or minutes or hours spent reading, using charts or stickers). Children can also include drawings, cartoons, bookmarks, and so on.
One final idea – talk to your children about books and reading! Ask them questions – and ask for plenty of details! Remember – whoever’s doing the talking is doing the learning!
Happy Summer!
HAPPY READING!!!!!!