THE IMPORTANCE OF SUMMER READING WITH YOUR CHILDREN
It is important to read with your children consistently through the summer so they will not regress in their reading proficiency. Remember it is not the work sheets, phonics, or testing that helps children improve their reading. It is the actual reading process that helps them improve. The more you read the better reader you become.
The reading process includes Reading-aloud, Listening to them read, individual silent reading and most important of all is to make it fun, fun, fun.
SUMMER JOURNAL. Have a summer Journal for each of your children. It can be like the ones in the pictures or you can have the children make their own journal. Be creative. The journal can be divided into different sections: Keep track of the books you read, write down the activities and the results that go with books, write about your travels ,etc. Remember keep it fun, fun, fun. Keep the writing at a level they can handle without difficulty.
Suggested Fiction Picture Books
THERE WAS A MOOSE ON CLIFFORD STREET by Jylene Morgan
After reading this book take some walks in your yard and the neighborhood and see what you can see that you could write about. Don’t make it hard it could be just the name of the object. You the parent can model the writing process by writing a sentence or two in your child’s journal, bur encourage your child to do some writing.
THE VERY QUIET CRICKET by Eric Carle
Do some of the same type of activities with this book that you did with “THERE WAS A MOOSE ON CLIFFORD STREET" but emphasizing insects. Introduce the scientific name "Entomology" for study of insects. Write the scientific name of the insects you find in the journal
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey (Caldecott Book)
The book was first published in 1941 which makes it 75 years old. It is a classic that has been popular with parents, teachers and children for many years. It has beautiful art work that is done without any color. The location of the story is in Boston. You can just read this aloud to your children and enjoy the book, but there are other activities you can do after you have enjoyed the book. Robert McClosky first noticed the ducks when he was walking through the public gardens to art school. If you have a child that is interested in drawing and art, this is a great book to model the drawing of the ducks and their different emotions. The location of the story is Boston, Massachusetts. If there is interest you could do a study of the landmarks, the City and the state.
BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL BY Robert McCloskey (Caldecott Honor Book)
Are you going to be picking any kind of berries this summer. This is a good read-aloud book when picking berries or any time. This a beautiful story about Sal and her Mother getting mixed up with a Mother bear and her cub. There is also an opportunity to build language from the illustration of the old fashioned kitchen and the canning process on the inside cover.
