Experts
agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those
who do not can lose some of them.
As
children’s first and most important teachers, parents have a major role to play
in motivating children to read during the summer.
Here
are some tips to help keep your child learning and reading.
Combine
activities with books. Summer leaves lots of time for children to enjoy fun
activities such as going to the park, seeing a movie, or going to the beach.
Why
not also encourage them to read a book about the activity?
If
you’re going to a baseball game, suggest your children read a book about their
favorite player beforehand. In the car or over a hot dog, you’ll have lots of
time to talk about the book and the game.
Visit
the library. If your child doesn’t have a library card, summer is a great time
to sign up. In addition to a wide selection of books to borrow, many libraries
have fun, child-friendly summer reading programs.
Lead
by example. Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctor’s
office, and stuff a paperback in your beach bag.
If
young people see the adults around them reading often, they will understand
that literature can be a fun and important part of their summer days.
