Summer Reading Ideas for Kids: The ULTIMATE Guide (Part 2)
Tips for Making Reading a Family Activity – Part 2
Need new summer reading ideas for kids? Want to help them prepare for the coming school year? It’s no secret that reading is an essential part of a child’s learning journey and development of a creative imagination. During the summer, it is especially important to keep the literacy wheels turning for your child or students. As a result, you will be helping them avoid “summer slide.”
This article is the second and last of a two-part series for parents and educators to help encourage and promote summer literacy (Part 1). Keep these ideas in mind during the summer months to help kids avoid the learning loss of skills developed during the previous school year. This article is particularly geared toward parents. You’ll discover five tips to make reading a family activity during the summer months—or any time of the year:
1. Start a Reading Club – It’s not too late to start a family book club where everyone reads the same book. Then, you can discuss the story together. As a result, readers at any age will feel encouraged to talk about the book, engage in conversations, and join in discussions.
2. Plan Family Reading Time – Family reading time is a great way to encourage reading in children. To do this, set aside a few hours each week where everyone reads together That way, even reluctant readers will feel encouraged to join in.
3. Make Writing a Collaborative Activity – Writing can be an engaging and collaborative activity for the whole family. Try to choose topics for each family member to write about or create a story with each family member contributing a different section.
4. Create Engaging Challenges – Create reading challenges that are fun for the entire family. Consider a race to read a certain number of books in one month. Alternatively, create a competition to see who can read the longest book. Above all, use your imagination on this.
5. Take Reading to the Next Level – Reading doesn’t just mean books. Take your reading activities to the next level and explore different types of reading material such as magazines, newspapers, and even websites. Also, you could explore different forms of storytelling such as shadow puppetry or theatrical performances.
Wrapping Up
Once the summer reading list is complete and your child has finished deciding on his reading goal, parents should take the time to reflect and review the reading list with the child. Here are some simple steps to wrap up your summer reading list:
1. Discuss the Books Listed – Take the time to discuss the books with your child. Ask them what they liked and didn’t like about the book and why.
2. Celebrate Accomplishments – Celebrate the reading goal your child accomplished and thank him for putting in the hard work.
3. Prep for the Next Year – Reflect and make a list of books that your child didn’t get to this year but wants to tackle next year.
4. Reflect on the Experience – Ask your child what he learned from the experience and what he wants to do differently next year.
By taking the time to complete a summer reading list with your child, parents can encourage their children to value reading and foster a long-term love of books.
Special Note: To read Part 1 of this series just click HERE.
More Resources
Summer Reading Ideas for Kids: The ULTIMATE Guide (Part 1) – This is the first in a series of two articles about summer literacy. It can be enjoyable for the whole family to engage in literacy activities and discussions during the summer break. Learn how you can promote literacy in your family or classroom this summer with the ideas provided in here. Includes new printable lists full of book titles to keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer. Four summer reading lists are available for birth-preschool and grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Each list is available here to download for FREE.
2023 Summer Reading List for Kids and Teens (140+ Books for Pre-K to Grade 12!) from We Are Teachers – During the summer, some kids see it as a chance to spend reading new books as well as old favorites. Others would be happy if they didn’t see a book during their whole summer vacation. However, summer reading is key to keeping skills fresh. During this time off from school, let them enjoy books of all kinds—it’s the reading that matters. The summer reading list here for 2023 has options for every kid, every reading level, and every interest. Bookmark the list for easy access!
Reading Tools for Kids from Brennan Innovators, LLC – Do your kids or students need a little extra reading support to improve literacy over the summer months? These multisensory, customizable tools and Mac/PC apps can be just what they need to maintain or improve reading skills during their summer break!
