Summer time w/kids Part 1 Reading

Summer has reached the South! It may be officially still Spring but the thermostat & the school year ending in a few days means summer is here.  As parents we never get a vacation, so the summer poses a few challenges. We must prepare our kids for the upcoming school year, make sure they stay or get physically fit, stay out of trouble, and have a lot of fun. The resources for summer help are endless but I thought I would share a few....I will break them down in categories each week with a post...Let's begin with Reading List:


 This will get a lot of moaning from some of the kids but we have to keep them learning all year. Most schools provide a required summer reading list for the new school year, local libraries also have suggested reading lists by grade level. One way to make reading more fun is to create or join a book club. Book clubs can be found at local libraries, bookstores & even social networking sites like Facebook & Twitter.  Encourage your child to connect with their friends and have a meeting once a week where they can discuss the book, take notes & be prepared for the reading test for the Fall.  It can be a lot of fun if you switch the meetings up. Have a meeting on Skype one week, a meeting at a local park another and maybe a themed party for the final...use your imagination and tie in the book; the details wont be forgotten.


If your child is more of a loner or has a lot on their schedule try including a nice notebook & pen to go along with the new book.  This can give them the opportunity to jot down notes they need to recall the book later as well as place they can journal their thoughts and activities from the summer.  Let them chose the journey or notebook that reflects their personality. If your child is like mine then they love their IPod and Itunes has an assortment of apps that are used to take notes and journal thoughts...let them decided...we love the pen & paper in the summer in my family but what works with your child is best!


Finally reading with your child no matter the age is a great way to get those books read. Local libraries usually have multiple copies of book titles. So get your lists and get to reading!