Summer Reading
Everyone has heard it said that kids lose knowledge in the summer. Many parents try to plan activities that encourage retention and continued learning in the summer (ssshhhh, don’t tell the kids) but kids just want to have fun! The connection between learning and fun is a topic for another day; but, the connection between learning and reading is undisputed.
The library’s summer reading program is still going on and the Bookmobile has weekly stops all over the county. For more information, call your local branch of the library or check out their website. Reading books is important and fun, but don’t forget about the many other ways that we need to read and understand in our daily lives.
Since many of our usual summer activities have been changed this year, we are all finding more ways to stay occupied at home. Reading is an anytime activity for everyone! It is something that we all do throughout our daily lives. Whether we are traveling, shopping, working, cooking, or just having fun, we are reading. Sometimes we don’t realize just how much reading we do in a day.
If you are reading a recipe, include your child. If you are making a shopping list, ask your child to help you spell the words. If you are traveling, have your child help you look for road signs. Reading in every-day life is a great way to reinforce skills that your child developed during the school year. This will aide in retention. Even young children who are non-readers can recognize letters and begin putting sounds together long before they are actually reading. Don’t underestimate what your kids can do!
This week’s column is dedicated to summer reading. We all want our children to love learning and have a desire to read. The best way to encourage this is to read to them when they are small. I miss reading with my boys when they were young. They both loved to be read to. My mother did a lot of reading with them when they were at her house and we read a lot at home. I can still quote quite a few little stories that we read over and over and over and over. Don’t skip a page – they will catch you!
The following information is excerpts from the Kentucky FATHERS READING EVERY DAY Family Guide. If you would like to have a copy of this complete publication that includes recommended books for a variety of ages, contact your local Cooperative Extension Office in Greenup County at 606-836-0201.
Reading to Children Helps Them Succeed
Why Me?
The latest research indicates that kids who grow up with warm, nurturing, and actively involved fathers:
do better in school.
have higher self-esteem.
build better relationships with other kids.
develop healthier ideas of how they should behave as adults.
grow into more successful adults.
build better relationships with other kids.
You can have a powerful impact on your children’s success in school. In a 1997 study by the U.S. Department of Education, researchers surveyed over 20,000 parents. They learned that when fathers took an active role in their children’s education (such as attending school meetings, volunteering at school), the kids were more likely to make A’s, participate in activities like sports and clubs, and enjoy school, and they were less likely to repeat a grade. What’s so great about reading?
Your child’s potential for success in school starts long before he or she walks into a classroom. An easy activity that you can do with your young child — which is consistently linked with better school performance — is reading. Parents who read to their children regularly tend to bring up children who are superior readers and who do better in school.
Why is reading so good for kids?
Educators believe that reading and storytelling:
stimulate children’s imaginations.
enhance their vocabularies.
introduce them to components of stories (characters, plot, action, and sequence).
help them learn about the world around them.
It is also an activity that is very child-centered and creates warm and positive interaction between parents and children.
Isn’t reading a “Mom” thing?
Reading with your kids is a great opportunity to interact with them in a positive way, while helping them grow intellectually and socially. In a study that began in the 1960’s, psychologist Ellen Bing discovered that the amount of time fathers spent reading with their children was a very strong predictor of children’s cognitive abilities, including verbal skills. Surprisingly, in this study, the amount of time mothers spent reading with their children did not predict daughters’ or sons’ verbal ability.
So be a hero!
Dad, don’t underestimate the important contributions you make to your children’s lives. Read with your children on a regular basis, and they will reap benefits that last a lifetime! Be a hero!
Reading Tips for Families
Do you ever wonder how you can get your child interested in reading? Or how can you get your child to read more and watch television less? Many parents ask these questions. Parents can help their children learn to love reading right in their own homes! Promoting literacy in your home does not mean that you must create an academic setting and formally teach your child how to read. Instead, parents should take advantage of "real life" opportunities to share reading with their children.
Here are some helpful suggestions:
Establish a daily “Drop Everything and Read” time for your family when the television is turned off and everyone reads for 15 minutes. When your DEAR time is over, each family member can briefly summarize what he/she read, talk about a favorite part, or share new and interesting facts. Other members of the family can ask questions if they like. Learning to talk about books will improve your child’s reading comprehension.
Read aloud together every day. Make it fun by reading outdoors in the backyard, at the park, or at the beach.
Show your child that reading is fun! Laugh out loud, make comments and share what you read.
Visit the library together. Apply for a library card. Ask your librarian about special materials and reading programs that are available for your child’s interests and needs.
Create your own mini-library at home with your family’s favorite books.
Make trips a way to encourage reading. Read aloud traffic signs and billboards. Show your children how to read a road map and let them help navigate. Select books together that you will take along on the trip.
Celebrate reading! Give your child a book to celebrate a birthday or special occasion.
Take your child to the bookstore to look at books about their favorite topics. Make a list of books you and your child would like to read.
Computer time can be reading time. There are many programs for children to build reading skills. Let your child help you “surf the Internet.” Send letters via email to family or friends who are out of town.
Provide your child with a reliable home dictionary and encyclopedia. Encourage children to look up subjects that puzzle or interest them.
For more information, contact the Greenup County Extension office. Anne Stephens, Extension Agent for Fine Arts in Greenup County can be reached at 606-836-0201 or anne.stephens@uky.edu. Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING
