Dear Parents,
Asalamu Alaikum
Where has time gone, SubhanAllah! It seems like yesterday when everyone was getting ready to go back to school. The month of June is just around the corner and with it is the long awaited summer vacation. It is a well-known fact that during summer, the dreaded "Summer Slide" sets in. However, the following ten steps can help prevent the summer slide
in your child
:
1. Take a book. The best way to get your kids reading is to have books available, so take them with you, whether it's in the car, at the beach or waiting at the doctor's office.
2. Summer recharge. Plan ahead for a fun reading-related trip midway through the summer to reignite the love of books and reward kids for reading. It doesn't have to be anything fancy; the trip could simply be camping like a character in a favorite book.
3. Explore hobbies. Reading is extra fun when the subject matter involves your favorite things. Look for books that match your kids' personal interests, such as dinosaurs or gymnastics.
4. Magazine madness. Plenty of popular kids magazines can be delivered to your home for an exciting surprise in the mailbox that makes an excellent reason to flip it open and start reading.
5. Road trip reading. A long car ride is the perfect opportunity for the whole family to enjoy an audiobook together. You can discuss the story over lunch breaks and fuel stops to engage even further with the book.
6. Pen pals. Work with other parents to set up pen pals for the summer and have kids write letters back and forth to practice their reading and writing skills.
7. Act it out. Encourage kids to gather some neighborhood friends and create a play based on a favorite book. This helps kids understand the characters and story lines by bringing them to life.
8. Take direction. Ask kids to read the directions for a classic summer project, like setting up a tent or making a snack for a picnic. Whether they are directing you or doing it themselves, reading and understanding directions builds important skills.
9. Head to the library. Most libraries offer fun and interactive summer reading programs for kids that include incentives, activities and structure to help get kids excited about reading all summer long.
10. Tap into tech time. If you've committed to limiting screen time for the summer, consider a compromise that lets kids use devices for productive activities, such as reading e-books.
11. I will add an eleventh step. Scholastic Book Fair! Let’s put an end to the
summer slide. For more information, please click on the Scholastic Book Fair link.
Sincerely,
Nancy-Ann Brethour
School Librarian
School Librarian
