Keep your kids reading through the summer
Don’t let your children lose their valuable reading “muscle”
It’s true: children lose some of that hard-fought reading ability over the summer. Unless…
Unless you help them exercise some of those reading muscles, in a fun way, of course.
Rachel Ehmke at Child Mind Institute (CMI) has suggestions.
“The library is always a good place to start looking for children’s books. Reading experts suggest the ‘five finger rule’: have your child open up a book and read the first page. For every word she doesn’t know, have her raise one finger. If she has more than five fingers raised at the end of the page, the book is probably too hard.”
Ehmke notes that many libraries have summer reading clubs, too.
“Don’t limit yourself to books, either,” she adds. “Kids like getting mail, and a magazine subscription in their name to a children’s magazine like National Geographic Kids or American Girl provides a variety of new things to read each month. Many kids who avoid traditional books also find that they enjoy reading comics, which can be slightly more accessible and still offer a solid reading experience.”
She’s also a fan of parents staying involved in their children’s reading experience.
“When a child is reading independently, it’s good to discuss what he’s reading. Kids will appreciate the interest, and it doubles as a way to monitor comprehension. Talk about the characters and the problems they are facing, and encourage your child to ask questions and reread tough parts with you. Consider reading the book at the same time as your child for a better conversation.”
There’s a LOT more to this useful article. Here’s a direct link to CMI.
