As the summer sun shines bright and school bells take a break, it's important to keep our kids engaged in reading. Encouraging their love for books not only enhances their imagination and language skills but also allows them to embark on countless adventures from the comfort of their own homes. In this blog, we'll explore some ideas to keep your kids reading this summer, even for those who aren't avid independent readers .
Library Excursions: Pay frequent visits to your local library and make it an adventure. Encourage your kids to select their own books, explore various genres, and interact with librarians. Many libraries also host storytelling sessions or workshops during the summer, providing extra incentives to visit.
In the Kitchen: We use reading in our everyday lives for a variety of very functional or fun reasons, not just for reading books! Have your child read their favorite cookie recipe to you while you follow the directions and end with a yummy treat.
Family Game Night: Choose a new game that your family is completely unfamiliar with. You might have your child read the rules out loud to the family. If you have them as the referee for the game, they will need to reference the rules at times. With familiar games, you can "sabotage" occasionally by "cheating" if you think your child will say something. You can then have them show you where the rule is written- your family will need to be patient as they scan the text for the relevant information.
Reading the Paper: Consider going out and getting the actual newspaper and share the comics with the kids to encourage reading around breakfast.
Eating Out: When you eat out at a new restaurant, try sitting back to watch your child read the menu. Before telling them that their favorite food is an option, see if they find it first.
Find Scripts from your Favorite Movies: Does your child love Lion King? Or Harry Potter? You can often find the scripts to these movies for free, and this activity lends to practicing the the same text repeatedly. The more familiar your child is with the text, the more fluent they can be. Hearing themselves reading fluently is therapeutic and can help them maintain their fluency in less familiar text.
This summer, you can use both exciting books & text in other real life activities to nurture your child's literacy skills . From exploring the library to exploring the kitchen, these literacy ideas will keep your kids entertained and intellectually stimulated.
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