School is wrapping up for the year and summer is here! As we celebrate with ice cream cones and staying up past bedtime to catch lightning bugs, we also need to start planning for what we’re going to do to fill our time this summer.
We definitely don’t want our kids to lose all the skills they learned over the school year. Check out this infographic from Oxford Learning on summer learning loss statistics:
One easy way we can keep our children’s skills fresh this summer is by reading to our kids. Here’s a list of 5 top-notch resources for keeping your family’s reading game strong this summer:
If you’re feeling kind of “meh” about the importance of reading aloud to your kids, this book will convert you into a passionate believer. The first half of the book includes great information on why we should be reading aloud, how we should read aloud to different ages and stages, and tons of other helpful tips on making reading aloud a success for your family. The second half has a fantastic treasury of book recommendations separated by age and genre. This is a must-read for every parent and teacher.
2. “Read Aloud Revival” Podcast with Sarah Mackenzie
This podcast has 100 episodes worth of various topics pertaining to reading aloud with your kids with a wide range of experts and authors. The books suggested on the podcast are always top-notch, and it’s so fun to hear people from a variety of backgrounds talk about what works for their family. Sarah Mackenzie also has a new book out: “The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids” that comes highly recommended.
3. Your Local Library
Local libraries always run fun summer reading programs to help kids stay reading over the summer. There are often incentive prizes like free books and other goodies for participating in a summer reading program. There are summer reading programs for adults, too! Kids often do what they see modeled. If they see their parents curling up on the couch with a good book, they’re more likely to read themselves. Make it an exciting event this summer to hit up the library once a week to grab a new book haul.
4. “Honey for a Child’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt
If you are convinced that you need to read aloud to your kids but want to know what the very best books to read aloud to them are, this book comes with an annotated list of books for ages 0-12 of timeless books rich with high-level vocabulary that encourage a child’s imagination.
This website is full of amazing, evidence-based resources for parents from everything from helping your struggling reader to a customizable booklist for your child through the “Book Finder” feature.
Enjoy your summer with your kids! Get outside, make some messes, and READ!
