by M. Ranard, M.Ed.
700 words
Many parents feel overwhelmed thinking about the summer vacation weeks when children need reading practice to stay fresh and prepared for the next school year. Tutoring is an excellent option, but there are plenty of ways to promote reading skills at home.
The most important thing you can do is consistently provide exposure to reading and language every single day. Integrating more reading into their daily lives will expand their vocabularies, help them develop a sense of sequence and patterns, and increase their attention spans.
Keep these tips in mind.
1. Think variety. Instead of sticking with chapter books or the fiction they usually gravitate toward, consider a trip to the library for a variety of diverse books and magazines. The exposure to multiple types of print and genres will stretch them and offer options they may not have considered otherwise.
2. Cozy down. Set up cozy reading areas in different parts of your home (every room if possible!) so that they are drawn to devour books without being asked. Let them build forts equipped with books, flashlights, and pillows for hours of escape. A simple huge pile of pillows makes the perfect nest to get lost in a story.
3. Be a matchmaker. Be sensitive to their interests to match them up with books. If they are passionate about playing baseball in the summer, go to the library and let them explore titles on the subject. If there is a television show or movie they are especially moved by, find related books so they can go deeper into the material.
4. Bend the rules. Occasionally bend the rules at bedtime (maybe an extra 20 minutes) to encourage reading in bed. Make sure their reading material at night is not scary or apt to give them bad dreams.
5. Bag o’ books. Have a tote full of books in the car or near the door so that there are always books on hand to read for errands, appointments, and times waiting is involved.
6. Don’t freak about levels. Do not be overly concerned with the reading level of the material your child chooses over the summer. We want kids to fall in love with books, not be turned off because of limits. So don’t be concerned if your child turns to some selections you consider too juvenile.
7. Read aloud. Be willing to read aloud to your child even if a part of you feels they are way too old for it. They’re not! As a tutor, I have found that reading aloud even to my older students has incredible value. You can stop and ask them questions and check for understanding. Hearing language and new vocabulary and forming images as they listen all counts and matters! Don’t limit reading aloud to bedtime either. You could make it an after dinner or a breakfast ritual.
8. Don’t be a hypocrite. Get caught reading. You need to practice what you are preaching to reinforce it. Let them see you read novels, the paper, magazines, recipes, and mail. Point out signs and billboards when you’re in the car and ask them questions to check for understanding.
9. Celebrate. Use your judgment for this one. Your kids may not need any reward program in place to motivate them. If they do, instead of setting a huge goal (100 books read by end of summer!), think realistically and shorter term. Set an achievable weekly goal and a reasonable weekly reward (Cupcakes? Trip to the zoo?).
10. Be prepared for occasional whining. There will be moments they just will not be in the mood to read. Have alternative language building activities in mind for these times. Let them dictate a story and then read it back to them. Ask them to write 50 words that begin with “B.” Work on a crossword puzzle together. The idea is to stay immersed in words, letters, and language every day.
All of these tips will help your child feel more confident about practicing newly acquired reading skills and more prepared for the school year. The added bonus is these ideas lend themselves to opportunities for high quality connection with your child—which is never a waste of time.
M. Ranard has worked as an academic tutor for a decade. She has a husband, two sons, and a master’s in counseling. Visit her at hellolovelychild.blogspot.com.
