Beginning Readers & Summer

[DiannaC]

I am curious how you retain what your child has learned through the summer, especially when it comes to reading? We will finish up the year at the end of May & I want to have a relaxing and full of play summer. However, I think it would be foolish not to have my ds reading some, but I don't want it to feel like school. What do you do to retain their reading skills?

[myfatherslily]

Does your library have a summer reading program? That could be a fun way to encourage daily reading. If not, you could make up your own chart and designate a reward of some sort when it's filled. After however many times of reading, you could get an ice cream cone or something. You definitely will want to keep reading. Kids have surprisingly short-lived memories when it comes to school stuff they've learned! :)

[boscopup]

If he's able to read, go to the library every week and let him pick out books. Read them together, let him read them himself, you read to him. Do all of that. :D

[TracyP]

My 5yo is just starting to read cvc words. We will definitely be keeping up with reading over the summer. I agree with "just reading" if your dc is at that point. My ds is not, so we will probably just review/practice on the whiteboard or with letter tiles. You can easily do a quick review in just 10 minutes, 3-4 times a week. That should be plenty to retain what has been learned.

 

I have a friend that likes Peggy Kaye's Games for Reading. That might be worth looking into for fun review.

[reign]

I did mandatory phonics while using OPGTR. After that I just have the girls read a book aloud to me. How far along is he? If you don't want to require lessons you could just have him read to you. Even taking turns is good practice!

[Ellie]

Go to the library weekly. Check out lots of books. Read some of them aloud to the dc. Leave the others out for the dc to read on their own if they want to. :-)

[Arcadia]

We participate in the libraries' summer reading program. The bookstores, both big and family-run have summer reading events for kids.

[DiannaC]

I haven't thought about the summer reading programs at the library or even B&N, but that is a good idea. He is just beginning to read independently and he reads to me every day and usually my husband too. He is reading Dr. Seuss and Little Bear books right now. Thanks for the suggestions!

[duckens]

Summer can be such a busy time: swimming, playing at the park and yard, riding bikes!

 

1) Can you set a quiet time each day for reading to himself? Come home from the pool or in from outside, and send everyone to their rooms for a half hour of quiet time. Tell him he doesn't have to read for the whole time, but ask him to read at least one book to himself.

 

A good time for this might be while you lay the youngers down for a nap. Then come and join him (unless you need a nap yourself) to read aloud together.

 

2) Library reading program

 

3) Can you find a "Read to a dog" program? Our library usually sponsors this. Sometimes it is in the summer with therapy dogs. Last year, it was in the spring with a group of 4Hers who were training their dogs.

 

4) One of the latest studies I read about "paying kids to excel in school" paid first graders 25c/book they read. It was the most effective of the three paradigms studied because the positive effects followed the kids through third grade (when they were checked) because the kids became good readers.

 

For anytime:

5) When dd6 was in Kindergarten, I put a shoebox next to her bed filled with BOB Books, and other various little books. We added her readers from schoolwork to the box as she completed them. This created a little library of books she could "mostly read" on her own. When putting her to bed, she was allowed to stay up (in bed) as long as she was reading.

 

6) Find some games to play.

6a) There are many apps to practice reading skills that you can download for an ereader or ipad or iphone. We have a ton on our Nook.

6b) Reader Rabbit on the computer. Dd6 started with this one.

6c) Board games: We've had good luck with games from Scholastic Books.

[stripe]

I took the summer off once.

 

Never again!

 

If you do nothing else, keep math and reading alive. I check out tons of books for my kids. My 6 year old reads a mix of easy readers and real books. She has decided to read books my son doesn't finish. It's kind of hilarious. I keep both non-fiction and fiction around, as well as books that tell how to do fun stuff.

[ElizabethB]

I do twice a week phonics with my son over the summer after a two week break and twice a week math with my daughter, those are their subjects that jump out of their brain over the summer if I don't. Math stays in my son's brain and LA stays in my daughter's brain.

 

I try to make at least one of those 2 days fun with games or iPad apps.

 

Here is my phonics concentration game:

 

http://www.thephonic...trationgam.html

[twoxcell]

During the summer I have a required reading time daily. My oldest reads on his own and my second reads to me. I will most likely work with my third dd on her phonics a few minutes a day as well. Last summer my ds(9) earned video game time from the minutes he read. He was really into that so we will probably do that again this summer. I just provide them with a basket of books to choose from and they read the book in what ever order they please. ;)

[Wabi Sabi]

Even when we're not officially "doing school" I still require my kids to read daily. For my beginning reader we will continue with phonics over the summer. She enjoys Starfall, Leapfrog DVDs and The Electric Company on Netflix so it's easy to sneak in a little bit of continued phonics work disguised as entertainment. ;-)

[GSOchristie]

This is our first year, but we are going to keep doing math and reading through the summer. We are schooling year round, but since CC is about to be over, we're just going to check out whatever non-fiction he wants for history and science. For the summer.

[DiannaC]

Thanks for the wealth of ideas! My son mainly reads to me and I think it is a great idea to have him read to me during rest time everyday. He can't read in his bed at night, because he shares a room with his younger brother, but that will be something to consider in the future. I also like a reward for reading so many books. He is a very motivated firstborn and a reward will be the icing on the cake for him!

[Incognito]

FWIW, I LOVE reading and my kids love reading/books, and I have done what I can to avoid the summer reading program at the library. At our local library it involves them getting candy for reading and some prize at the end which is not a book (I think it was more candy or a frisbee or something like that). Hopefully this year we'll be able to avoid the summer reading program again (I wouldn't ban my kids from it if they wanted, but it is so candy-driven and its structure and rewards system assumes that children need to be bribed to read/like reading).

 

I don't know if you saw the Barnes and Noble thread, but they have a reading incentive program where the kids get one free book. We did that last year.