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Family Resources

Summer Learning Activities

Reading Ideas

I truly hope you all can take time daily to involve your children in reading over this summer! Developing a passion for reading will be one of the greatest gifts you could help instill in a child. Here are some ideas for you.
Kindergarten and First grade:
 
  • Read to your children. Give them the love of stories and information.
  • Log them into our Connect Ed reading program through Clever. Look for the Resources Tab. They can read and listen to of all this year’s stories and practice skills through games.
  • Practice your sight words. Look for them in stories or newspapers.
  • Say the names of objects you see while driving and ask your child to tell you the sounds in the word (examples: tree t-r-ee, flag f-l-a-g, stripe s-t-r-i-pe)
  • Have them write out the alphabet letters and then sing the ABC song.
  • As the library opens up, have your children choose a book they want to read. If it ends up to be too difficult to read comfortably, you or an older sibling can read it to them. Have them read words they know as you come to the words… Or, you can read a sentence and then have your child point to the words and read the same sentence. Use fun character voices and expression. The important thing is to avoid frustration and to make reading positive.
  • It is encouraging if your child can know a book well enough that it is memorized. Direct him/her to “read” the story again while pointing to each word as it is said. This will help develop sight word reading and familiarity of words.
2nd—5th grade:
  •  Connect Ed provides easy access to materials at your child’s level. Look for the Resources tab.
  • Any age benefits by being read aloud to. Look for classic chapter books to read with or to your child. Or have your child read to a sibling, older relative, stuffed animal or pet. (see attached list for reading ideas or books, or ask a librarian as well).
  • Writing is always fun and adds to the reading process. Have your children sketch pictures of a story’s sequences or an event they experienced. Let them write about what happened and then share or Zoom it with a family member.
  • Have your child write out your grocery list or a letter to a relative or teacher.
One last note.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents limit the time kids use screens, fearing they may cause issues including sleep problems, and delay the development of language and thinking skills. We all love to have time watching TV or playing with our phone. We just need to make sure that it isn´t too much of our day, if we can help it. (Amanda McCurdy) Safe summer fun, Mrs. Kallstrom Reading Interventionist Reading Options
  • Read to real or stuffed animal
  • Read outside
  • Read in a bathtub (no water)
  • Organize your bookshelf
  • Create a puppet show
  • Rewrite the ending of a book you did not like
  • Record yourself reading on your parent’s phone
  • Build a reading cubby out of blankets and use a flashlight to read… or read with a flashlight in the dark
Classic Read Aloud and Chapter Books (for grades 2nd-5th)
  • Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
  • Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
  • Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
  •  Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne
  • Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
  • A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner Alma
  • How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
  • Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
  • Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
  • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
  • The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
  • Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
  • Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
  • The Borrowers by Mary Norton
  • Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
  • Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
  • Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (5th grade)
  • Holes by Louis Sachar (5th grade)
  • Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J Sobol (4th or 5th grade)
 
Mrs. Kallstrom, Reading Intervention Teacher

Summer Vacation Ideas

I can’t believe it; Summer is right around the corner! Here are a few ideas to keep your brains and bodies active over our summer vacation. I can’t wait to hear about all the new things you tried when I see you again. And remember “The Always Ask First Rule: Always ask your parent or the person in charge first” to make sure you are safe when you try these activities.
 
Outside Activities:
  • Visit museums, zoos and aquariums.
  • Go to the park and play on the toys.
  • Go to the Aquatic Center
  • Go camping (backyard camping can be a real treat).
  • Take a walk and explore your neighborhood.
  • Go to a baseball game.
  • Ride your bike or skateboard.
  • Go fishing.
  • Build a playhouse or fort.
  • Plant a garden.
  • Set up a lemonade stand.
  • Create an outdoor theater to put on plays and puppet shows.
  • Have a dance party.
  • Play frisbee.
Indoor Activities (some with online links/instructions):
Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you on August 31st!
Mrs. Barnett, School Counselor