Help Your Child Become a Reading STAR

Follow these guidelines to set your child up for summer reading success

As the end of school draws near, students dream of summer freedom – freedom to choose some fun activities as well as the books they want to read.

Is your child ready for summer reading? Make sure they have access to Bookshare, either with a Student Login provided by their teacher or with an Individual Membership. Then follow these guidelines to help your child become a reading STAR*:

Space

• Encourage reading anywhere and everywhere
• Try places like the beach, the pool, grandma’s house, a tent in the backyard, a hammock, the park, a blanket fort, or in the car

Time

• Reading doesn’t just spontaneously happen.
• Set aside specific times to read each day: before bedtime, while waiting for dinner, before going out to play, or whatever works best for your family

Access to books

• Let kids be “free range” and choose their own books; we’ve got great recommendations below (if your child has a Student Login through school, make sure teachers have assigned books to your child for summer)
• Have plenty of books downloaded for reading in the car
• Download books that your child’s friends are reading so he or she can join the conversation
• Visit the public library regularly, let your child find appealing books, note the titles, and then download those books in Bookshare when you get home

Rituals

• Try all types of reading: solo silent reading, take turns reading passages aloud with your child, or read the same book your child is reading and have a book club discussion
• Children who observe parents reading become better readers themselves, so set a good example by turning off the TV and reading a book

Bookshare has Summer Reading Lists for All Ages

The Bookshare librarians have created special Summer Reading Lists for all ages and interests to kick start your child’s summer reading. Here are just a few of the engaging titles:

• The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
• A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
• A Dragon’s Guide to Making Perfect Wishes by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder
• Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions by Lenore Look
• Dory Fantasmagory: Dory Dory Black Sheep by Abby Hanlon
• The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade by Max Brallier
• Barkskins: A Novel by Annie Proulx

What are you waiting for? Help your child find a comfortable spot, set aside some quiet time, choose a book, and dive in. They will be on their way to reading STARdom in no time.

*Thanks to Ali Posner, Ph.D., Education, for these helpful summer reading tips.