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The
Importance Of Summer Reading In The Elementary Child
The importance of summer reading
has been demonstrated repeatedly in a variety of research
studies. Over and over again, it has been shown that children
who read during the summer do much better in school when it
starts again in the fall. On the other hand, children who do
not read during the summer demonstrate a significant loss over
the summer. The good news is that the research has also shown
that having elementary-aged children read just four to five
books during the summer can prevent this achievement loss.
Recognizing
the Importance of Summer Reading
The research has shown the
importance of summer reading, but getting your child to
understand the importance of summer reading is a much more
difficult task. When summer vacation rolls around, reading is
often the furthest thing from most kids’ minds. How, then, do
you help your child understand the importance of summer
reading and encourage him to read during summer vacation?
The best way to stress the importance of summer reading is to
be actively involved in your child’s reading. If you are like
most parents, however, you probably aren’t sure how to do
this. Luckily, there are many websites, such as this one,
available to help you along the way. A quick Internet search
of the words “summer reading” will also bring up a multitude
of recommended summer reading lists.
In addition, the importance of summer reading is so well known
that many teachers will send recommended summer reading lists
home at the end of the school year. Many libraries also
sponsor summer reading clubs. Check into these resources and
you might be surprised by how much help is out there!
Encourage your child to participate in these summer reading
activities. If you show enthusiasm for reading, your child
will feel it, too.
Creating Your Own Program to
Stress the Importance of Summer Reading
If there aren’t summer reading programs available in your
community, you can create your own! In fact, you can stress
the importance of summer reading by first coming up with a
calendar of summer reading events. Plan special activities
each week involving reading, and reading won’t seem like such
a chore to you or your child. Also, let your child help with
this calendar and you will be more likely to gain his
cooperation – and have fun making it, too!
The first thing you and your child might want to do is make a
list of all of the books you would like to read this summer.
Picking a favorite author is a good place to start. You can
find other books by this author by visiting the library or
doing a little research on the Internet. Not only does this
help give you and your child a reading goal, but simply doing
this research helps keep your child’s reading skills sharp.
If your family enjoys summer travel, the importance of summer
reading can still be stressed. For example, your child can
help you research activities for your trip. Let him look
through brochures and tell you about fun things the family
might be able to do. Also, encourage your child to keep a
scrapbook of all of the places you have visited. This can
include photos, postcards, ticket stubs, and souvenirs from
the trip. This helps your child organize his thoughts, as well
as keep track of fond family memories.
You can also tie reading into other summer fun. For example,
visit the library to check out a cookbook. Have your child
look through the cookbook to find a recipe she thinks she
might enjoy. This gives your child a purpose for reading while
integrating the importance of summer reading into your family
routine. This project also gives you and your child an
opportunity to spend time together – the best reward from
summer reading!
If your child enjoys the great outdoors, take hold of that to
emphasize the importance of summer reading. Explore the
outdoors together. Check out field guides from the library and
see how many flowers, trees, birds, and other outdoor critters
you can identify. Take it a step further and make leaf
pressings or take photographs and make your own field guides
together.
If your child is a jokester, stressing the importance of
summer reading can be all about fun. Encourage him to create
his own book of riddles and jokes. Help him look through books
to find his favorite jokes and riddles, but also encourage him
to make up his own, too. Then, share these books with family
and friends.
The importance of summer reading is paramount. Finding fun,
meaningful ways to encourage your child to read in the summer
will not only help her keep up in school, it will also help
draw your family closer together.
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