10 tips to keep reading skills sharp over the summer
June 22, 2010
School may be breaking for the summer, but that doesn’t mean kids should stop reading and learning. Research has shown that children who don’t read over the summer lose some of the literacy skills they learned during the year, and have a difficult time adjusting to school in the fall.
This is sometimes referred to as “summer lag.”
“Reading is like a muscle – if you don’t use it, you lose it,” says Margaret Eaton, President, ABC Life Literacy Canada. “It’s important for parents to encourage children to read over the summer to keep their minds sharp. All it takes is 15 minutes a day of reading or engaging in a fun literacy activity to keep the mind active.”
Here are some tips to encourage literacy and learning over the summer:
1. Be a reading role model. Children learn from their parents, so let them catch you reading.
2. Have your children create a map for your summer road trip, and have them navigate by reading signs and billboards.
3. Hunt for words. Throughout your family vacation, have the family go through the alphabet, finding words on signs and displays that start with the letter they are given.
4. Don’t forget to write. Send friends and relatives postcards from different places you go, or better yet, send one to yourself as a visual reminder of your trip.
5. Turn subtitles on during a favourite family movie. Turn the sound down and encourage kids to act out cherished characters.
6. Zoo outings and visits to museums and galleries can be fun and educational. Be sure to read all the descriptions on exhibits and displays. Take along small notebooks for kids to write the names of favourite animals. Little ones can draw pictures and get help from you with labeling.
7. Head to the beach with a good book! Check out our list of summer reading for kids and our round-up of the best fantasy books for kids. Parents, check out the Star’s book reviews to find summer-reading picks for your own beach bag.
8. Make a delicious meal together for a family picnic. Following a recipe improves reading, math and comprehension.
9. Bring some board games up to the cottage for a family game night. Board games are a fun way to improve literacy skills.
10. On a rainy day, surf the Internet for information on your hobbies, or the latest summer movies.
Source: ABC Life Literacy
More:
Best summer reads for kids
Best fantasy books for kids
For more fun literacy tips and activities, please visit www.abclifeliteracy.ca .