“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss
When traveling around this summer, make sure that your children have a stack of books – hard copies or audio CDs – within reach! We all know reading is important, but reading over the summer is even more vital to your child’s success in the coming academic year! The University of Tennessee History Center provides us with some recommendations to get your children jump-started on their explorations, adventures, and imaginations:
New Readers:
“Dodsworth in Tokyo” by Tim Egan
“In Andal’s House” by Gloria Whelan
“Let’s Go, Hugo!” by Angela Domingues
“A Long Way Away” by Frank Viva
Elementary Readers:
“Racing the Moon’ by Alan Armstrong
“I’m Not a Plastic Bag: A Graphic Novel” by Rachel Hope Allison
Middle Schoolers:
“Chomp” by Carl Hiaasen
“Fenway Fever” by John H. Ritter
“Summer at Forsaken Lake” by Michael D. Beil
“The Plant Hunters: True Stories of Their Daring Adventures to the Far Corners of the Earth” by Anita Silvey
Young Adults:
“Endangered” by Eliot Schrefer
“Meant to Be” by Lauren Morrill
“Wanderlove” by Kirsten Hubbard
When choosing books, teach your children how to use the 5-Finger Rule to determine if a book is just right for them:
1. Open to any page
2. Start reading that page
3. Hold up ONE finger for every word that you don’t know or have trouble pronouncing
4. 0-1 fingers, book is TOO EASY; 2-3 fingers, the book is at the INTEREST level; 4 fingers, the book is at the CHALLENGE level (you can read it, but it should make sense); 5 fingers, the book is at the FRUSTRATION level and is not a good choice for now.
5. Ready to READ!
And remember, you can add vocabulary words from the more challenging books right into your Brainjogging word lists and they will not be frustrating for long! Happy Reading!
Tags: ADHD, dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, Reading, Students with disabilities, Summer Reading