Thursday, July 19, 2012

Summer reading wrap.....

  Getting your child from this.....to....


this during the summer vacation can be quite challenging.  What is a responsible parent to do?  Well here are a few tips to help you out.

First of all don't panic and don't nag.  You should....you ought you....you must....just doesn't' work out very well with the majority of kids.  To lure your child away from his x-box, iPad, iPod (whatever) try a little wisdom.  Find out where your child's interests lie and go for it.   Go to the library (or bookstore) and invest in books that they will read.  Whether it be Captain Underpants, a graphic novel, a comic book or a fascinating biography of Sidney Crosby - buy it for him.

   Summer movies can also help the reluctant reader.  Try to read the book first then see the movie but the reverse works well too. If he sees the movie first then he is able to comprehend the book better when it is time to read it.  There are great classic children's books now out on CD's such as Charlotte's Web and the Narnia series.  Diary of a Wimpy kid is sure to be a hit as well as the new Spider man that has recently been released.  Older kids will enjoy the Harry Potter movies as well as the Hunger Games.

   There are lots of non-book ways to boost your kids reading skills as well.  Play word games together such as Scrabble, Boggle or Bananagrams, ask your child to read recipes off while you cook,or let them navigate your road trip with a real map as opposed to your GPS.  Summer scavenger hunts where your child has to read and decipher the clues is a huge hit.  Prizes can be edible or from the Dollar Store.  You can take turns coming up with a word of the day and then see how many times you can use that word in a conversation throughout the day.  The possibilities are endless and fun.

  Go ahead and make reading happen naturally.  The reading time does not have to be dull or boring.  With a little effort you can have your children reading all summer long.  Read on.


No comments: