Best Ways For Kids to Excel in Summer Reading

The weather is getting warmer, the sun is staying out longer, and schools are sending our kids back home with summer reading; so yes, it’s summertime! And it has been one long year. We’re tired, our kids are tired, and everyone else is going to have to deal with it. We need a break. We deserve a break! 

Now that school’s over, the time has come again that we can’t give the heroic teachers of the world our kids anymore. Now our kids are going to expect us, their parents, to keep them entertained for a whole three months. And don’t get me wrong, we love all the time we get to have with our little ones this summer. We only wish for more of it when the school year comes back around. But keeping our children not only entertained, but prepared for the coming academic year can be a difficult feat.

How Will You Help Your Child Prepare For School This Summer? 

Some of us will spend our time at the beach, others at the pool, some at the park, some at the barbeque, others at the water park, and the rest at the many other endless places that bring us summertime bliss. So it is clear; it’s easy to come up with classic summertime things to do like riding bikes, playing baseball, swimming, and going to block parties. But how is it that us parents are going to make sure our little ones don’t fall behind for the coming year? The answer is the same it’s always been because it’s a tried and true way…. Summer Reading. 

No, we’re not just talking about an endless summer reading list of books. We’re talking about reading anything...and everything. With the way the world is changing, it can be harder and harder to keep our kids’ attention. Which is why we, as savvy and smart parents, need to come with new ways to get our kids doing their summer reading.

Summer Reading Ideas

Here are just a few of the best ways to get your kids reading over summer so that when it comes to conquering that summer reading list it’ll be a breeze!

1. Mix it up!

Summer reading doesn’t have to just be from the age old books we read as kids. Any reading counts. Yes, magazines count! There are a ton of kid-friendly magazines out today. Reading on the computer counts! Us parents have a responsibility to keep our kids on their toes and hit them with something to read anytime throughout the day. Challenge your child and provide them with the support they need to continue their education this summer.

In the morning when dad’s reading the newspaper, he should ask his kids how to read a title or a headline or a little paragraph. When the family is out at that neighborhood restaurant that’s everyone’s favorite spot for summertime meals, ask your kids to read some items on the menu or the signs hanging all over the restaurant. At the ice cream parlor, ask your kids to read all the flavors, even the ones our picky eaters wouldn’t dare order! Or when the family is out at the beach, ask them to read the lifeguard signs. Now if that isn’t some great summer reading than I don’t know what is!

Are you doing the above and finding your child is struggling? Trust us, your child is not the only one. That’s why we developed iKnowABC, an interactive educational adventure to improve reading comprehension!

 

2. Read as family!

Make it fun! Make it creative! Make it a little adventure in the family room! Choose a book that everyone will like and read it aloud in a fort of pillows and blankets. Bring the whole family in and assign everyone a character so that everyone is involved. Use funny voices, deep voices, or high voices. Act it out! Turn your family room into magical kingdom for your kids. And it’s not that hard, just use your imagination and turn everything in the room into something from the book. Download the iKnowABC app for unlimited access to our Ebooks and create an adventure with the family!

Summer reading like this as a family will not only be fun, but it’s something that your kids are going to look forward to and something that you are going to miss and cherish when they no longer have a summer reading list to bring home. 

3. Take summer reading outside!

Summer is full of nights under starlit skies. Sitting around fire pits for roasting marshmallows. This is a perfect opportunity to stay out in the backyard late and turn summer reading into stories around the campfire. After the chocolate is melted, the marshmallows are roasted, and the older kids have left to go out on the town with their friends; it’s time to open up a children’s book and turn the backyard into a faraway land.

Have one of the parents get the story going and then pass the book around. Get everyone involved. This will excite your kids and get them eager to read next!

4. Use Technology!

You hear it all the time, kids are too engaged with electronics these days. But let’s face it, technology is a great tool to support your child’s educational journey. iKnowABC is an interactive program that can be accessed anywhere your family goes this summer with a mobile app, a full desktop program, and hours of offline activities!

The key is balance. If we instill a balance of technology into our kids at a young age, they will learn how to do this for life. And as technology has enhanced your work, let it enhance the way your kids learn.

New to iKnowABC? Visit us today for a free downloadable rainforest workbook and watch your kids enjoy their summer reading practice!