Summer Reading Camp
Our Mission
Paint Words Outside
Vocabulary Word Jar
Vocabulary is closely linked to reading comprehension. This activity will help boost your child's vocabulary through fun, engaging conversations with your child.
Steps:
1. Place unfamiliar words that your child would benefit from knowing in a jar. Include words that have multiple meanings.
2. Ask your child to choose one word per week from the jar.
3. Have a contest with your child to see how many sentences he/she can generate using the words.
Check out the suggested list of words here: Summer Words | Easy Summer Vocabulary Words For Kids (playosmo.com).
Summer Bucket List
1. Read at the park.
2. Read at the library.
3. Read in a tent.
4. Read a biography.
5. Read to a sibling.
6. Read in a blanket fort.
7. Read on a hike.
8. Read at the pool.
9. Read in your backyard.
10. Have a read-a-thon with treats.
*Bonus: The video below shows Alabama's literacy mascot, Short the Squirrel, reading in some fun places.
Governor Ivey's Summer Reading Challenge
Alabama students entering kindergarten through eighth grade are invited to write a letter to Governor Ivey this summer. Share your preferred summer reading book and why it is your favorite. All letters to Governor Ivey should be addressed and mailed to:
Governor Kay Ivey
Attn: Governor Ivey's Summer Reading Challenge
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Access the challenge information here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lthtgdYS_-dv0GiMyTqmhnuWcZS9JBOj/view?usp=sharing.
Summer Book Clubs
Create a Sidewalk Word Ladder
Take learning outside by creating a chalk word ladder to practice reading and spelling skills. Write out a word on each empty space of the ladder, and have your child start at the bottom. Each time he or she moves up the ladder, ask your child to sound out the word he or she lands on. When he or she reaches the top, turn around and do the ladder backward. Also, see if your child can create new words by changing one letter in each word.
Build Background Knowledge This Summer
Interesting experiences give kids a broader framework for new information they might encounter in books, and when kids have lots of experiences to draw on, they have a better chance of making a connection with what they read! Help your child build background knowledge this summer with these activities. Access the article here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S2jV6NgAxzYrotacy8gMc7pK9oldR3xM/view?usp=sharing
Library Scavenger Hunt
Family Read Aloud Time
Write a Letter to Your Child and Drop it in the Mail
Fort/Tent Reading
Book vs. Movie
Tips for Parents
Set a goal together: Encourage your child to set reading goals at the beginning of summer. Make sure they are achievable and match your child's reading level. This may include finishing a certain number of books each week. Revisit these goals throughout the summer to make sure your child is on track.
Create a reward system: Create a reward system with your child for reaching certain milestones of the reading goals he or she has for the summer. A reward system will provide extra motivation to keep your child excited and engaged with reading.
Read with your child: There is no better way to have meaningful discussions about what your child is reading than by reading it together! Ask your child questions about the characters and events from the story to improve reading comprehension. Sparking conversations about the book shows your child you have an interest in his or her reading hobby.
Take day trips: Encourage reading by taking your child on field trips related to what he or she read. For example, if your child finished a book about dinosaurs, take him or her to a museum to explore exhibits and learn more. More examples include the McWane Science Center or a virtual field trip to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. These types of field trips are great motivators, and they encourage curiosity and self-directed learning.
Allow your child to pick his or her own books: Don't force your child to read something he or she doesn't have an interest in reading. Your child is more likely to read something he or she picked out.
Summer Writing Ideas for Kids
Check out these additional fun ideas to engage your child in writing this summer! Encourage your children to decorate a notebook and use it as their special summer journal to collect all of their writings.