Any suggestions for a good reading program for my daughter over the summer? She does excellent in Math and is getting good grades in reading, but struggles more with it. She doesn't want to practice reading because it doesn't come easy to her. She responds well to incentives, so I want to put into place a reward system for her (no food rewards, only activities). I don't believe in using food as an incentive.
I want to encourage her through the summer because I fear if she doesn't practice she is going to fall behind come the fall.
I'd start by checking to see if your library has a summer reading program. Most will have one for kids. You can use their tracking system as a basis for your rewards.
There are some fun on line games that reinforce reading skills, I'd have to look for the exact names so pm me if you want me to find them.
I personally would encourage her to write. Do penpal things with cousins or grandma. buy fancy stationary from the dollar store.
If you go on trips have her write out a list of what she needs to pack. maybe let her use drawings if she needs to.
My kids love getting mail. We subcribe to Ranger Rick and highlights and a ton of others ( they were actually gifts from the gps).
Maybe give her money and take her to the book store/half-priced books store/ friends of the library used book sale to pick out what she would like, youl'll have to be open to her picking baby books or electronic type books but the good vibes about books and reading would be worth it.
Ask a teenagere, maybe her babysitter to read with her or to her. and be sure you are doing it everyday too.
BOOKS ON CD are great for kids, my library has a ton and i think you can even put them on an MP3 player to listen too. We do this for at the drs office or car trips instead of the dvd. Skippy John Jones is hilarious on cd. Magic tree house is on CD, A to Z mysteries. lots.
don't forget to model reading your own self.
I agree with everyone, summer reading programs are fun. Borders and Barnes & Noble also have summer reading programs where the kids can pick a free book (from a predetermined list) after they read a certain amount of books. You can do this in addition to the summer reading programs at the library.
Also, keep reading to her. My kids can both read on their own but we still read together because it's fun to share the stories together. If she feels like she's being forced to read, she might resist, but if you are reading together, it is a fun activity where you can bond together. You can take turns reading; she can read one page, you read the next one, and so on. One fun series that my kids love is called "Elephant and Piggie" by Mo Willems. The words are simple and the stories are funny. Good luck!
As a second grade teacher, I applaud you for doing this. You would be surprised how many parents don't read with their kids all summer:( I second the library!
Have you considered getting a program like Hooked on Phonics to double with her regular school lessons? It would be great for over the summer to teach her first grade reading in advance and help it be easier for her for first grade. I get the bundles for my kids. It seems like it costs a lot but it comes with a TON of stuff and a lot of books within it, so in the end, it's a great price. You can look on Amazon and see if they have any. Last time I looked they did. Or other places have it.
I use it with my kids. I homeschool. My 4.5 year old is into first grade level reading. He's only been reading for about 4-5 months. It's a great program. It teaches it in a really good way that makes it easier for them to understand and comprehend. My 8 year old has started reading later (she wasn't interested/ready earlier), and she is speech/hearing impaired...so she's had some obstacles to overcome in figuring out how to read. She is now at first grade level reading too, and she's starting to really take off with it. It's great for almost all situations. I highly recommend it. It's worth the money.
Our library summer reading program has a terrific incentive at the end -- a fat little coupon book with coupons for everything from free swimming at the recreation center to discounted sports tickets to a free round of mini-golf. As others said, try the library first!
You can also set up your own program with an achievable goal -- make sure it's something where she can see progress and not wait too long to be rewarded. Maybe a book every X days, or every week, and once she's read it she has to do something -- tell you about what happened, or pretend to be her favorite character for you, or explain what the problem in the story was, etc. Then she gets a reward, or points on a chart toward a reward.
Talk to a children's librarian for other ideas and for recommended books! Go with your child's interests. If she really digs fairies, find fairy books. If it's soccer she loves, yes, there are kids' sports books, both factual and novels. Give her a mix of stories and nonfiction, too. Be sure she's interested in the subject matter so she will want to read!
Have you checked out your local libraries. In my area, our libraries put on a summer reading program.
Ditto to answers below, the library programs are the best.
Also, kids make HUGE gains in first grade, you will be shocked at how much she learns! My son left K fairly low in reading skills among his peers and by the end of first grade he was reading chapter books.
Please don't force her to "practice" over the summer, just keep encouraging her and exposing her to lots of books. Other opportunities to strengthen reading skills are out there, too, like reading road signs, kids restaurant menus and labels at the grocery store. Have fun with it!
I agree with the others. Check out your local library for summer reading programs. Ours has one and gives the kids prizes for reaching their goals. You could also add your own to that. Such as a trip to a waterpark when she completes the program.
Yup, public library summer reading programs rock! And if you don't have one nearby, the charts our library uses usually have some "theme" and little shapes (e.g. footprints, sailboats, leaves, etc.) to fill in for each 20 minutes read, and special shapes for the half-way point and at the end.
Also, check if your library has books on CD or cassette - often times they'll have some books bundled *with* a CD or cassette, so your child can listen to it *and* look at the book at the same time.
My son is also going into 1st grade in the fall. Take her to the library to choose books. Also, have her write, too. Have her write sentences like: The dog is black and brown., My cat has a red ball., etc. Writing will help her reading and vice versa. As for rewards, maybe a Red Box movie? Or a nature walk/scavenger hunt. We will go outside and find 5 things (a leaf, a rock, a lady bug, etc.) and come home and write about them. My son enjoys reading/writing/math more when it has meaning!
Have you tried starfall? My kids love(d) it!
