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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 actually 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:
& Read aloud together with your
child every day.
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.
& Set a good example! Parents 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.
& Read the same book your child is
reading and discuss it. This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity
for thought and insight.
& Let kids choose what they want
to read, and don't turn your nose up at popular fiction. It will only discourage the
reading habit.
&
Take
your children to the library regularly. Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs 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.
& Subscribe, in your child's name,
to magazines like Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights for Children, or
National Geographic World. 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.
& Ease disappointment over summer
separation from a favorite school friend by encouraging them to become pen
pals. 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.
& Make trips a way to encourage
reading by reading aloud traffic signs, billboards, notices. Show your children how to read
a map, and once you are on the road, let them take turns being the navigator.
& Encourage children to keep a
summer scrapbook.
Tape in souvenirs of your family's summer activities picture postcards,
ticket stubs, photos. Have your children write the captions and read them
aloud as you look at the book together.
(Taken from the website:
www.ldonline.org)
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