Help Students and Parents Fight The Summer Reading Slump
Summer is just around the corner, and as teachers and administrators wrap up the year they will give their annual inspirational ‘win one for the gipper’ speeches; in an effort to encourage their students to read over the summer.
Ironically I just sat down this week to type up a letter to be distributed to my tier 2 and tier 3 reading intervention students, doing this very thing. I’d like to share some resources, ideas, and tips that teachers and administrators can use and share with parents and students. I hope that this post encourages you to be proactive; show parents and students the importance of summer reading, and equip them to fight off the “summer slump”.
Use research to show parents the importance of engaging students in active reading this summer. I really like this short two page research brief on the benefits of engaged summer reading:
summer reading brief
Check out your local library’s summer reading incentive programs. My local library offers some great programs for children, teens, and adults: Carmel Clay Public Library and Zionsville Public Library
Do you live near a college or university? Many universities, small colleges, and community colleges offer intensive to less intensive reading programs. Here is an example of one in my community:
IUPUI Reading Class
Check out some universal summer reading incentive programs that some big name publishers and major bookstores offer:
Scholastic Summer Reading Program
Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program
Book It! Summer Reading Program
Start your own online book clubs! Our students live online, why not engage them in community there! Take some time to set up a book club online using an online learning platform, here are a few I would suggest:
Google Groups
Moodle
Edmodo
Facebook
Check out these additional great Ideas and resources from Reading Rockets:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/23428
Have a suggestion? Please comment and share with everyone else! Summer’s just around the corner, don’t just throw summer reading to chance!
Image credit: Flickr via Klearchos Kapoutsis
3:55 am
On top of going to the library, which is my number one choice, local bookstores also have amazing events. Sometimes they feature children’s authors. I have personally taken my kids to see an author and they are always motivated to read the books that the author wrote. If you can’t get to see an author live then you can watch author videos online http://childrensauthor.net/videos/Childrens-Author.html
or a very new thing is to watch a book trailer. This is very similar to a movie trailer except that it features books.