And now for a Guest Post about reading and your kids,
and then a GIVEAWAY!
So read to the bottom!
Summer is here, which means it's time to slow down and enjoy some great books. Do you have a squirmy
baby and don't know how to get started? Got a reluctant reader with a mile-long summer reading list? Here
are tips for making summer reading what it should be- fun! And don’t forget to visit your local library for
programs and more tips, suggestions, and recommendations.
Babies to Preschoolers
1. Begin. It’s never too soon to start and never too late to begin. You can show a tiny baby illustrations and contrasting images and read a cheerful rhyme. Prop books by the changing table, or tie them to the stroller. Share a book every chance you get.
2. It’s quality not quantity. Don’t worry about how much time you should be reading with your little one; make it a pleasurable for you both. Read when you and your child are in a good mood. Tired and fussy at night? Try first thing in the morning. Establish a reading routine that works for your family.
3. Make reading active and interactive. If your youngster won't sit still for a story, read to your child when she is playing. Try interactive books with flaps to lift, tabs to pull, or animal noises to make.
Kindergarten to 3rd Grade
1. Got a beginning reader? Reading, like any skill, is all about practice, practice, practice Make it fun! Let your child read to the dog, cat or fish. Let her conduct a storytime for her stuffed animals or read to her baby sister. Sometimes reading to a non-judgmental audience is just what your rookie reader needs.
2. Combine a book with an activity. If you go to the beach, get a book about ocean life. If you take a trip to a natural history museum, get some books on dinosaurs. Use books to answer questions your child has about the real world.
3. Don’t stop reading aloud. Even if your child is reading independently, don't stop reading aloud to him as well. Children can understand stories written at a more sophisticated level than they can read solo and this will help to develop reading comprehension and deepen vocabulary.
4th -8th Grade
1. Find a hook. Got a reluctant reader who wants to do anything else but read? Look for a topic or genre that will hook your child. Sport fan? Check-out biographies of hall-of-famers. Looking for thrills and chills? Spooky stories may be just the thing. Anime lover? Get some manga!
2. Read a movie. Many popular movies are based on books for children and teens. Watch the movie and then read the book (or vice versa). Have a discussion about the two. What was different? Which did you like better?
3. Be a reader yourself. One of the best ways to raise a reader is to be a reader yourself. Whether you love to read newspapers, magazines, bestsellers, or classics, make sure your child catches you reading. Talk to your child about things you read you think may interest him. If you read on an e-reader or tablet, show your child you are reading and not playing Angry Birds.
High School
1. Mix it up! If your teen’s high school sends home a list of classics to read this summer, help them space out this required reading. Let her read a required book and then cleanse the palate with a fun romantic or sci-fi read. Make sure she doesn’t try to cram all the required reading into the week before school starts.
2. Try an audiobook. Some kids and teens have an easier time understanding a story if they listen to it. Hearing a classic read aloud by a talented actor can help readers understand unfamiliar language and vocabulary. Many public libraries circulate audiobooks on CD or you can download them from the library’s website. Check-out a bunch and enjoy them together as family on long car trips.
3. Go graphic! Don’t forget about graphic novels. Many educators are embracing their power to teach visual literacy as well language arts. There are many excellent titles to choose from, many of which are based on classic texts. You may find yourself dipping into them as well.
About the Authors
Susan Straub founded the READ TO ME program more than 20 years ago, a national workshop encouraging young families to read to their babies that is still thriving. Ms. Straub’s work with READ TO ME has been celebrated on NY1 television and in Oprah’s O magazine. She lives in New York City.
KJ Dell’Antonia is the lead writer and editor of the New York Times Motherlode parenting blog. Also as a
children’s book reviewer and a mother of four children, she knows which books work best and why. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two young children.
Rachel Payne is the Coordinator of Early Childhood Services at Brooklyn Public Library. She has reviewed
children’s books forSchool Library Journal and Kirkus, served on the Caldecott Award Committee, and
presented at national and international conferences. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and young son.
Want to win Your won Copy of Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos: A Guide to Laughing, Learning & Growing Together Through Books by Susan Straub, KJ Dell’Antonia and Rachel Payne ?
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Thanks for reading this post and entering the giveaway!
(ISBN: 978-1-4022-7816-7; Parenting; April 2013; $14.99 U.S.; paperback)
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