Have you seen the looks in some parents’ eyes lately? Many
of them are a little jumpy and panic-stricken. Summer is right around the
corner and they will soon have to keep their children busy at home. We know
that our students will no longer have access to our school library collections
and it is important to keep kids reading throughout the long summer months to
prevent regression of reading skills. It is time to inform parents and students
of the wealth of reading available to them to occupy their summer vacations. I
like to direct parents to the RIF Summer Fun Booklist to help them get an idea
of what will interest their children. This site also has ideas for summer fun
and links to 50 free Ebooks as well as many more links to keep the learning fun
rolling. In the weeks before school ends, remember to talk-up the local public
library programs to students in your library classes and post the link to that
library on the school website for easy access. Reading Rockets has a “virtual
beach bag” that you can share with parents to help them plan activities and
reading experiences. One of my favorite ideas on this site is to link family excursions
to local attractions to literature such as a trip to the Eastern Shore of
Virginia with the book, Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry. Parents with
older children can be directed to YALSA’s summer reading list suggestions.
We can help our students keep reading, making real-world
connections, and connecting with their parents with these suggestions. I can
visualize those jumpy eyes relaxing and a fun, productive summer ensuing. That
will give us time to research ideas for September when a different set of panic-stricken
eyes will be seeking our suggestions for what students would be excited to read
in the classroom…
Teresa,
ReplyDeleteLots of cool summer possibilities listed to keep the students reading - Thanks.
I really liked that you chose to post about ways students can continue reading during the summer. All of the activities for the elementary level are a great way to keep kids reading. I am glad you also included the YALSA's summer reading list. It is a great resource for teens to find books when they may not have access to their school or local librarian!
ReplyDeleteHa! My friends with small and/or many children are having the exact opposite reaction as us--countdown to D-Day! :D I am sending out the YALSA list to our faculty tomorrow in an effort to get them to check out some summer reading material. Pinterest is another great place to find visual book marketing. Also, don't forget about the Virginia Readers' Choice!
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