Nurturing Literacy

For many families, summertime is game time. Playing cards and board games offers a double bonus. Not only are they a wonderful way to bond with one another, they are a great way to sneak in reading and math skills practice. This summer, our go-to game is Scattergories.  Now that some of our grandkids are getting older, they can really participate fully. In addition to the fun factor, this game requires critical thinking skills, categorizing, and writing. Lots of bang for your buck here. Ditching the video games and engaging in some old favorites like Monopoly, Uno, Scrabble, Balderdash or Boggle positively impact the reading skills of older kids. Without even knowing it, youngsters will be practicing their critical thinking, developing their thinking stamina, synthesizing information, using verbal and non-verbal skills, determining importance, categorizing and learning new vocabulary. What’s more, when various generations participate, kids are building relationships and everyone benefits from the learning and sharing that occur.

Don’t discount the importance of reading directions. When you play a new game, let the readers in the group wade through the directions and then explain how it works to the others. If they need help, show them how to “chunk” the text. Simply read each step, then stop and make sure it’s clear before proceeding to the next step. Kids will never guess that your teaching them an essential strategy for comprehending challenging text.

Dust off some of those old games or scour Amazon and invest in some new ones, but whatever you do, make sure to you bolster literacy skills and provide lots of family fun by including some favorite games.

Are you playing games this summer? Please share some of your favorites with us. Look for my next post which will highlight enjoyable and educational games for the younger set.

Today was the students’ last day of school. Tomorrow, teachers have staff development and then I’ll be able to close the door on another crazy, challenging, rewarding year of teaching. Apologies if you’ve been checking this blog and finding nothing new. The last few weeks of school are non-stop. But now that I’m on the cusp of summer vacation, check in for some hints to keep your kids reading, reviews of books that will open their minds and hearts and hopefully, a few guest posts from some other fabulous reading teachers. For now, I’ll leave you with one question…did your family read today?  Hope you will seriously consider ways to jump start summer reading and avoid that slump. Happy Summer!

“Make sure your kids read over the summer!” It sounds so easy but we both know that it’s not. Time has not dimmed the memory of living with five school-age children. Time has not dimmed the guilt that ensued when I sent them back to school knowing they did not read as much as they should. Time and experience, however, did teach me a few tricks. By the time my youngest was coming up, I was armed and dangerous when it came to summer reading. Here’s three of my best tips…

1. Plan in advance                                                                                                                                  Too often daily reading falls flat on its face because your child has not found a book that is both motivating and appropriate. Head that off right now. Gather at least six books that your child might be interested in reading over the summer. Each night, from now until the end of school, take a few minutes to preview a book together. Read the synopsis, make sure the book is not too difficult for him to read independently, and then read the first few pages (preferably the first chapter). Finally, talk about it and give your child the chance to decide whether or not he would like to put it in his “to read” pile of books. Trust me, this works like a charm. When I do this with my students they want to start reading most of the books right then and there. Your enthusiasm and willingness to read aloud in your most expressive voice can go a long way towards drawing your child into the story and hooking him on a book. Try it!

2. Offer a Reward                                                                                                                                           Sure, we all wish our kids were intrinsically motivated but most of the time, they’re not! When it comes to something as essential as summer reading, bribe if you must. One summer, I noticed that my son and many of his bright, young buddies had lost their interest in reading. I asked four of them if they would like to have a summer book club. This was the deal. Each week, they could gather at our house, share their books and have plenty of snacks. Every time one of them finished a book, they earned a letter. Anyone who read six books and spelled D-O-R-N-E-Y (for Dorney Park) earned a trip to this amusement park at the end of the summer. Yes, every boy read six books and I took the group to Dorney for a day of fun. Now these guys are in their thirties and when our paths cross, they invariably mention our book club. It was a win/win for all!

3. Read Together                                                                                                                                         There’s nothing quite like sharing a reading experience. Make it a point to read the same book as your son or daughter. You’ll be surprised at the wonderful literature available for young people and your child will be surprised that you care enough to read and discuss a book with him. Also, when you read a book together, you can enjoy it in a variety of ways. In addition to reading independently, you can read parts aloud to your child or vice versa. That way, if your youngster is tired or just “not in the mood”, you can still be sure that he gets his daily dose of reading.

Well, there are my top three tips. Remember in unity there is strength. I’ll bet many of you have a few tips of your own. Won’t you share them with us?

Memorial Day weekend came early this year, but I was late planting my annual flowers. Typically, I hustle to get them in right after Mother’s Day. My busy life didn’t provide an opportunity till this weekend and I spent part of Saturday and Sunday enjoying this happy ritual. Once those flowers are in, I know the stream of warm, lazy summer days is within reach. Like me, you are probably engaged in preparing your home for summer. Whether planting flowers, setting up the deck or opening the pool, there is a sense of joy and anticipation in the air. May I suggest that you save a little of that energy to prepare positive literacy experiences for your child throughout the summer months.

Research repeatedly reveals that most children are victims of the “summer slump”. Most students end the school year having made significant gains in their literacy skills. Then, summer beckons and the reading quickly takes a back seat to other activities. I always tell my students, “You never take a vacation from reading” because once September rolls around, I see the detrimental effect of the summer slump.

The tiny flowers I planted yesterday, reminded me of seedling readers. Like those flowers, many children are just beginning to blossom as readers. And like those flowers, without constant care, their budding reading skills will wither and die. Humor me as I extend this analogy and offer up a few ways to help your budding readers continue to thrive and blossom over the summer months…

• CREATE THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT                                                                        Environment is as important to readers as it is to plants. Now is the time to organize baskets of appropriate books and magazines, order subscriptions, and stock up on word games. Make your house a print-rich environment. Remember, also, that summer offers lots opportunities to build your child’s background knowledge. Any new experience counts. Offer up flyers, books or articles prior to, during, or after a venture and let your kids learn even more
• “WATER” EACH DAY                                                                                                                                             . We all know what will happen if I get lazy and fail to water those baby plants regularly. It’s the same deal with a budding reader. Failing to read on a regular (read DAILY) basis is essential if you want your reader to bloom. A blend of independent reading and read-alouds will keep skills fresh and enable your child to continue his reading progress. Now is the time to give some thought to how that will look at your house. Talk to your child, work out a plan, but most importantly commit to the plan.
• FERTILIZE WITH CHOICE AND CHANGE                                                                            If I want those flowers to grow as big and strong as possible, I’ll fertilize regularly to insure optimal growth. Fertilize your child’s literacy skills by providing choice and change. Regular trips to the library open countless opportunities for growth. In addition to books on every available subject and level, local libraries offer wonderful activities to motivate and educate. Take advantage of them and instill that desire to learn in your child. Although I’m a big believer in having a “Reading Routine”, change things up a bit once in a while. Have a “reading picnic”, make up reading games, invite other kids to participate in a Reader’s Theatre (google this term and find scripts for free). Anything that makes reading enjoyable can count as a good fertilizer for your budding reader.
• PRUNE OUT THE WEEDS                                                                                                           As summer unwinds, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Help your kids avoid too much screen time and wasted time. Don’t allow lack of attention to rob your child of essential practice that he needs to stay consistent as a reader and hit the ground running when the school bell rings. Plant the seeds now, nurture them regularly throughout the summer months, and you’ll bask in the knowledge that you did everything you could to help your reader bloom!

                 If you’re reading this blog, it’s probably because you want to help a child in your life develop a love of reading. Recently, I heard a quote from Jim Trelease, famed author of The Read-Aloud Handbook. Jim’s quote,”You can’t catch a cold or love of reading from a person who has neither.” Ah…do you see where I’m going with this? Take a minute to reflect on your own passion for reading. Do you read daily? Do the children in your life see you read? Do you talk about books, articles, ideas? Do you reach for a book when you need information? Do you visit the library or a book store on a regular basis? Do you often choose reading over screen time? Do books live in almost every room in your house? Do you grab a book or magazine on the way out in anticipation of chance to read? Have you finish at least four books so far this year? If you answer yes to many of these questions, chances are you’re doing a good job modeling a love of reading to the youngsters in your care. If you had a few too many “no’s” but truly wish you were more committed and passionate about reading, here are three simple suggestions to fuel your passion and whet your appetite for good literature that touches your heart.

1. Track down several (at least five or six)  short pieces of literature that come highly recommended. These can a combination of  be picture books, informational articles, short stories or poetry.

2. Read each one at least once, savoring the language, visualizing the images, and reflecting upon the writer’s craft and message.

3. Respond to each one after reading. This response can take the form of writing or discussing the text with another person.  Be sure to consider your reaction and how the piece of literature impacted you. What will you hold onto? What changed you? What message will you take into your life?

Making a conscious effort to slow down, reread parts of the text, consider the meaning and message that it holds, is at the heart of developing an appreciation of the role of reading in your life. Use these steps to immerse yourself in the experience of reading meaningful text. My guess is that you will surprise yourself, continue to reach for more positive reading experiences, and quickly become addicted to reading. Before long, not only will you be answering yes to most of those questions, but you will live with the conviction that the children in your life will be able to “catch” a love of reading from you.

If any of you have great text suggestions to help jumpstart this challenge, please send them along

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Mother’s Day is approaching. In addition to being one of my favorite holidays, it also signals that it’s time to plant a few flowers and pretty up the exterior of our home. Danger of frost is now past, and I’m guessing that many of you are as anxious as I am to choose this year’s annuals and immediately transform your landscape. This year, why not enlist the help of your children. First, take a few minutes to read a beautiful book by Barbara Cooney entitled Miss Rumphius. The story begins when Miss Rumphius is a child and her grandfather offers some sage advice. The reader travels with Miss Rumphius through the stages of her life to see how she follows the advice. What does this have to do with planting flowers? Read it and find out. Trust me, it is the perfect book to set the stage for gardening with your children, as well as providing a terrific opportunity to discuss how all of us can add beauty to the world.

Next week, the testing marathon begins. The PSSA ELA (English Language Arts) assessment takes place from April 13 through April 16^th, followed on April 23^rd by the Mathematics assessment. So, if your kiddos seem a bit stressed or just sick of “test prep”, you’ll know why.

In spite of personal opinions about the PSSA, we all must acknowledge the reality and prepare accordingly. You may have heard these suggestions before, but I think they bear repeating. Start today to get your child ready so that he or she can put forth their “best self” and not feel anxious and overwhelmed by this lengthy test.

• ENHANCE PHYSICAL STAMINA

Your child’s physical stamina plays an important role in his ability to maintain alertness during the assessment. Pay particular attention to diet during this time. Eliminate junk foods, increase protein and be sure your child is well hydrated. Obviously, adequate rest is essential. Not only on school nights, but the intervening weekends as well, your child’s bedtime routine should be kept in place. This is not the time for a late night sleepover! No one knows your child better than you so consider the amount of sleep he needs to be at his best and make sure he gets it.

• REDUCE STRESS

Play and physical activity during this testing time will help your child relax and let off steam. If possible, make sure your kids play outside for a bit after school each day. We know physical activity reduces stress and periods of playful exercise will help your child let off steam and feel relaxed. Additionally, if your son or daughter is prone to anxiety, take the time to listen to their concerns. Sometimes, just an understanding heart can do wonders to reduce the emotional angst kids often feel during this time. If necessary, teach your child some deep breathing exercises and let the teacher know if you think your child’s stress level is critical.

• MAINTAIN READING ROUTINE

Even though your children are doing a lot of reading and thinking during the test, if is still important to maintain the at-home reading routine. Perhaps, you can change it up a bit by reading aloud or offering lighter fare, such as humorous stories. Revisit old favorites or search out few bedtime tales that will reduce anxiety and provide a chuckle, allowing your child to calmly drift off to sleep without worrying about THE TEST. Good luck!