TwitterMoms came up with this idea as part of an I Can Read books campaign running with Harper Collins and since I’ve been mulling this topic over for some time I thought I would post today some of my tips for summer reading.
1. TEACHER: Think like a teacher. On sunny days at your child’s school they take the lesson outside to vary it up a bit and make magic memories. Pick a topic that is summery or sunny, or even the opposite of that, and read outdoors underneath a tree. When it is superhot we make fake snow and read a winter book set in the Arctic.
2. MAGAZINES: Subscribe to magazines so kids can peruse at their leisure. My eldest daughter got a gift subscription to Chickadee magazine many years ago from my mother-in-law. After my mother-in-law passed away I kept the subscription going because Payrton loves it so much. What a great gift and a great legacy. Now we have Chirp for my youngest daughter, now 6, and Chickadee and even a French magazine to keep them learning en francais.
3. READ ALOUD: Don’t underestiamte the power of oral storytelling. Pick a big fun book you always meant to read together and schedule it for the summer. Delve into Chronicles of Narnia or Anne of Green Gables. We started The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe together about three weeks ago and I’ve read about five pages a night each night. We are almost done now and I have no idea what will be next. (which brings me to next tip.)
4. BE A DRAMA MAMA: Act a bit to bring it alive. Something about summer and the drama camps my kids do makes me want to try on different accents. So for three weeks I’ve been faking a British accent and the kids love it. I’m reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, so it only makes sense.
5. THEMES: Pick a theme and bring it alive. Maybe science books, and do some experiments too to help illustrate the theme, or a craft. I have experiments over here at http://www.thriftymommastips.blogspot.com/ There are a few cool books that give you hints on how to do this. One of them was reviewed by me here many months ago. It was called the Parent-Child Book Club,by Melissa Stoller and Marci Winkler.
6. LIBRARY: Take them to the library for their fun summer programs. Walk or ride bikes, or haul the wagon behind you. Most library programs are free and they often will do a summer story time. Some do summer reading contests.
7. BOOK STORE: Visit your local Chapters/Indigo or Smithbooks and have them pick one new book.
8. MOVIES AND THEATRE: Movies can be complementary to books, and so can theatre. Check out what’s coming soon at local theatre and if your kids like to watch performances as mine do then read the book and get tickets for the play. We have seen a few interesting theatrical shows. Recently my children saw Velveteen Rabbit. It didn’t make them want to read less, but more.
9. READING NOOKS: Book corners in the house. Books in the van or car. Books that travel. My kids never go anywhere without books. When they are handy, then during a quiet moment they are easy to choose. Also stash them in every room of the house. I mean – every room. Audiobooks also count.
10. PHONICS OVER FROSTED FLAKES: I will use tools like the I Can Read books a lot this summer for my youngest who needs to build confidence before entering grade one. I will use them in the morning and read with her at breakfast. I do this on purpose because my active girl loses interest later on in the day and is sharpest in the morning. Also if she senses that I am trying to get her to work then game over. So we will be reading over the Corn Flakes.
11. FIND FESTIVALS: Summer is a great time to get outside and look for local writer’s festivals and story-telling festivals, even children’s festivals. Almost always there is reading going on there. Having someone else do the reading while you sit beside your child in the park and absorb another wonderful season…what could be better?
12. COOKING: Cook and bake together. Have them read the recipes. This is a great math and reading activity. Not to mention Yummy!
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an “I Can Read!” book. For more information on how you can participate, click here: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-tips-for-getting-kids-to?
