by PRIDE Reading Program Admin | May 22, 2016 | A PRIDE Post, Reading Skills
School is finally out and now is the time for splashing in the pool, running in the yard, playing at the park and relaxing with friends. Summer is also the time to catch up and get ahead in crucial reading skills that might be lacking during the school year. Children who read during the summer months gain reading skills, while those who do not often experience reading losses.
Trying to balance the busy, physical activities that the warm summer weather brings with quiet reading time daily is not an easy task for most parents. Some children welcome the idea of reading books and keeping up with their reading skills during the summer months, while others, particularly weak or reluctant readers, will find this a tedious chore.
Try some of these tips to make sure your child’s summer reading skills goes smoothly:
- Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Summer camps, play dates, and technology are all fun things kids like to do during the summer. However, by the end of the day, children may be too tired to pick up a book and read. When planning summer time activities for your child, remember to leave some time in their schedules for reading. Find a convenient time each day – before bedtime or over breakfast.
- Offer an incentive program. Keep track of the minutes spent reading and then every couple of weeks the child can choose a “fun activity” as a reward. Many libraries also offer online sign ups for summer reading programs. Children can keep track of the books they read and win stickers, prizes and other incentives.
- Help your child select books at a comfortable level. If you are having trouble judging, consult your local librarian who is likely to be an expert in matching books to reading levels.
Another great source is the Lexile Framework for Reading. This website will give you a Lexile Measure from a reading test. You can then look up books according to your child’s lexile measure. The website is: www.lexile.com.
If your child makes 5 or more errors in reading a page of around 50 words – the book is too challenging.
- Become a reader yourself and lead by example! Read the news on your iPad, pick up a magazine at the doctor’s office, and take a book to the beach or on your family picnics. If kids see adults around them reading often, they will understand that reading can be a fun and important part of their summer days.
- Read about your vacation destination before you go. Have your child read about your travel spots ahead of time and help plan the trip for you. If you go camping, explore the wildlife and scenery on-line.
- Make sure to bring books on vacation, outings and errands to keep your children occupied and entertained with great stories. Pack books in your beach bag and picnic baskets instead of electronic game devices.
- Connect books with activities! Read a story that mentions something yummy to eat and then try out a recipe at home. Try some exotic foods from stories from other countries.
Karina Richland, M.A. is the Founder and Director of Pride Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County. Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist. Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications. You can reach her by email at karina@pridelearningcenter.com or visit the Pride Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com
by PRIDE Reading Program Admin | Jun 15, 2015 | A PRIDE Post, Reading Skills, Summer Programs
Summer break is finally here! Although our kids deserve a vacation from the daily homework load – we don’t want to completely let their reading skills slip during this summer vacation. Here is a very family-friendly list of activities you can try at home this summer with your kids to keep the reading skills sharp and active in those kiddies:
- Cook with your kids. Cooking is a great way for the family to spend fun and educational time together. Reading food labels and recipes can help your children improve their reading skills and learn the meanings of unfamiliar words. You can also work up an appetite by reading a story about food. Then make and eat the food you read about.
- Listen to audio books in the car while traveling. Spending time listening to books strengthens listening, concentration and imagination skills in children. It also gives them an opportunity to improve vocabulary and language skills. Take your child’s iPod along on car trips or while you are running errands during the summer break.
- Take your child grocery shopping. Let your child carry the shopping list as you shop. They can read off the items you need. Label reading is also a great reading task for a child. You can have them look up the ingredients on the labels or ask them to research which breakfast cereal has the least amount of sugar in it.
- Play board games. Here is your opportunity to expand your child’s mind while also having fun and spending time together. Games like Scrabble, Boggle and other word games are great for challenging the minds of kids. Some games require reading for clues or reading directions.
- Read about your vacation destination before you go. Have your child read about your travel spots ahead of time and help plan the trip for you. If you go camping, explore the wildlife and scenery on-line.
- Pick your favorite author. Try to read all the books by a favorite author and list them on a chart. Then write a letter to the author. Most authors have their own websites with contact information, book titles, games and more.
- Visit a museum or zoo. There will be lots and lots of signs and descriptions to read which will encourage non-fiction reading vocabulary.
- Go to the library. Access all those wonderful library resources, including reading incentive programs and opportunities for volunteer work for older children.
- Plant a vegetable garden. Read books together about gardening. Read directions to plant seeds. Children can research online for growing tips and learning how to take care of their vegetables.
- Campfire Stories. Set up a tent in the backyard and have your children take turns reading campfire stories. Pick out some fun scary mysteries and don’t forget the s’mores.
- Don’t watch TV – read it! If it is available, have your child watch close captioned TV with the sound off. Not only builds reading skills but also builds empathy for those who are hearing impaired.
- Keep a summer scrapbook. Tape in souvenirs of your family’s summer activities such as pictures, ticket stubs, photos, etc. The kids can write captions and read them aloud as you look at the book together.
Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program
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Karina Richland, M.A. is the Founder and Director of PRIDE Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County. Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist. Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications. You can visit the Pride Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com
by PRIDE Reading Program Admin | Jun 27, 2010 | Summer Programs
School is finally out and now is the time for splashing in the pool, running in the yard, playing at the park and relaxing with friends. Summer is also the time to catch up and get ahead in crucial reading skills that might be lacking during the school year. Children who read during the summer months gain reading skills, while those who do not often experience learning losses.
Research has shown that the few months of loss in reading skills over the summer months compounds over the years; by the time children reach middle school, those who haven’t read during the summers may have lost as much as two years worth of achievement.
Trying to balance the busy, physical activities that the warm summer weather brings with quiet reading time daily is not an easy task for most parents. Some children welcome the idea of reading books during the summer months, while others, particularly weak or reluctant readers, will find this a tedious chore.
The good news is that if children read just six books over summer vacation, they will likely avoid summer reading loss! Try some of these tips to make sure your child’s summer reading goes smoothly:
- Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Summer camps, play dates, and videos are all fun things kids like to do during the summer. However, by the end of the day, children may be too tired to pick up a book and read. When planning summer time activities for your child, remember to leave some time in their schedules for reading. Find a convenient time each day – before bedtime or over breakfast.
- Help your child select books at a comfortable level. If you are having trouble judging, consult your local librarian who is likely to be an expert in matching books to reading levels. Another great source is the Lexile Framework for Reading. This website will give you a Lexile Measure from a reading test. You can then look up books according to your child’s lexile measure. The website is: www.lexile.com. If your child makes 5 or more errors in reading a page of around 50 words – the book is too challenging.
- Become a reader yourself and lead by example! Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctor’s office, and take a book to the beach or on your family picnics. If kids see adults around them reading often, they will understand that reading can be a fun and important part of their summer days.
- Read about your vacation destination before you go. Have your child read about your travel spots ahead of time and help plan the trip for you. If you go camping, explore the wildlife and scenery on-line.
- Read a book that is now a movie, and then take them to see the movie!
- Make sure to bring books on vacation, outings and errands to keep your children occupied and entertained with great stories. Pack books in your beach bag and picnic baskets instead of electronic game devices.
- Connect books with activities! Read a story that mentions something yummy to eat and then try out a recipe at home. Try some exotic foods from stories from other countries.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Karina Richland, M.A., E.T. is the Managing Director of Pride Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County. A Reading and Learning Disability Specialist, Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications. You can reach her by email at: info@pridelearningcenter.com or visit the Pride Learning Center website at:
www.pridelearningcenter.com
