Summer Reading
Has its Rewards
I am a big nerd about reading...as you all know after reading/searching my blog! Well, I gave this "bug" of reading...this LOVE of words...to my oldest daughter. She is six now, and just learned how to really put words together through her Kindergarten year and to say that she is eager, enthusiastic would be an understatement!
Play Matchmaker: Early readers will get a kick out of recognizing words. Toss a bunch of household items-your kid's plastic dino, a seashell, a pencil-into a bucket. Write the corresponding words on note cards. Your child's mission: Match each item with its written description.
Swap Stories by the Campfire: Pack your kid's FAVORITE (not too) spooky tales and a flashlight, and act out the stories in your best ghostly voice. Not into Camping? Well, just head to the backyard after dark and make a great memory!
Tell a Zany Story: Preschoolers LOVE to chat (boy do they!), and a DIY mad libs power your child's active imagination while boosting literacy skills. Brainstorm a list of people, places, things, and actions with your little one. Write them down onto slips of paper. Place the nouns and verbs into two different bowls. Ask your child to draw one slip from each, then come up with a story involving the two. She'll be excited to tell you all about a skateboarding dog...equipped with a unique name that only a four year old could imagine!
Fish for Sight Words: Beginning readers can recognize some short words-such as "the" and "to" --at a glance. Help them practice by playing a round of reading-inspired GO FISH. Write about 20 SIGHT WORDS on note cards (make sure there are two of each word). Then, deal four cards to yourself and your child. Place the remainder between you. In order to make a pair, your child will need to figure out what words are in her hand, then ask if you've got its match or draw from the deck.
Build some Words: Energize your child's pattern recognition skills by creating word blocks. First, jot down common syllables like at, an, op, and it on sticky notes then affix each to a block. Next, put consonants on another set of stickies and affix those to blocks as well. Then let your kids stack 'em up to build as many words as they can.
Take it Outside: Grab a pair of walkie-talkies and a couple of your child's favorite books. Then head outside and find separate places in the yard where you can get comfy. Take turns reading to each other through the walkies and encourage him to spell our words he gets stuck on. (Sound it out!) This actually can also work with larger groups of kids from the whole neighborhood. Everyone can share what they're reading with each other without even leaving their own backyards and it is so much more fun with a walkie-talkie!
Power Up & Read: The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge encourages kids to read books, earn rewards, and unlock original stories by favorite authors! Visit: scholastic.com/summer to take advantage of free Power Up & Read resources including great videos that will help FUEL your own family's reading adventures (Note: Ends September 4th). You can also visit the Parents section of the Summer Reading Challenge website to get daily TIPS and enter for a chance to WIN BOOKS and other PRIZES!!!
