Summertime is fast approaching, which means summer reading contests are about to begin!
Summer reading is a vital part of our kids’ education. Studies have shown that kids who do not read throughout the summer regress academically by the time they return to school in the fall. Then they spend the first couple of months playing catch up.
In the Stahlmann house, we try to participate in every summer reading contest we can find. Some require you to clock time spent reading. Others ask you to log books completed. Some even require you to read specific books on their list.
To keep it organized, I use a 1/2″ binder with divider tabs for each of my children. Behind each child’s tab, I keep a master list of the contests they’re working on, reading logs, and login details for online trackers.
Here are some helpful links to plan your summer reading program:
Top 10 2012 Summer Reading Lists for Kids and Teens
2012 Free Summer Reading Programs
101 Books for the College Bound Reader
Help us expand our list…leave information on the reading programs you find!
I’ll tweet this and post it to my Facebook…you are so right about kids losing academic ground during the summer months…and they don’t have to. Summer reading programs and contests can encourage kids to KEEP READING…maybe discovering interests and passions they didn’t know they had.
Thank you, Vivian! Discovering passion is a fabulous summer goal!
Yay for reading! It thrills me to see parents encouraging and structuring summer reading! Many of my clients also struggle with writing, so I have found that summer reading is also a great way to incorporate writing practice. Summaries, character descriptions, letters to authors, and posting book reviews on amazon are just a few things you have students do to keep writing skills sharp during summer vacation. Enjoy!
Great writing ideas. My daughter is just about to launch a book review blog to hone her writing skills this summer and to be help to others. Check back soon, and we’ll post details on her new venture. Thanks for your valuable input!