Reading During Summer Break
May 18th, 2023
During summer break you look for ways to slow down a little and connect with your kids. Whether you have preschoolers or teenagers, reading with your children is a fun, easy, and a truly special way to accomplish this. There are so many benefits of reading with your children during the summer season:
1. Deepens Relationships
When you and your kids read together, you sit close to each other. Your children feel safe snuggling near you. They feel important with the focus just on them at that moment. No phone, no job, no chores are distracting you while you are reading together. It’s 10-15 minutes with you and your children sharing a good story. If you have older children, you can each read a book side-by-side on the couch or by the pool.
2. Shares Your Values
Reading stories and then talking about them with your children shows them what your family values are. You can discuss decisions that characters made and show what your family believes. These discussions could be about how to treat others, how to share and give, or how to react when someone has hurt you. You can share religious books to discuss what you believe and tell about your faith. Your kids can ask questions of you to learn what you believe and why. You can share how you would like them to behave. These are teachable moments establishing the roots that make up your family.
3. Develops a Love of Reading
Improving reading skills starts with the love of reading. Children learn to love reading when they associate it with good feelings and memories. When a parent models enjoyment of reading--and this means reading an actual book, not on a phone or computer--children of all ages emulate that. Set aside specific time for reading, even if it is a short period of time. If kids get into a book, they are more likely to keep reading. When children love to read, they naturally improve their reading skills and want to read more challenging texts. Let them choose what books to read and ask them questions about the book. Allow your children to talk about what they have read. Ask them what they picture is going on in a text like a mental movie. Ask them for their prediction of what could happen next, or what they think a character might be feeling. These are critical foundations for comprehension; all just from an enjoyable experience of simply reading together.
4. Slows You Down
The summer can be a hectic time with camps and travel. We fill our schedules and “to-do” lists with so much that we can forget to pause and just enjoy. When you read with your child, time slows down. You relax, your child relaxes, you breathe more easily and deeply, and you just get to be together. You get to read a story for pure enjoyment. This brings a calming effect to the entire summer break.
No matter how you spend your summer, make time to read some great books with your children, no matter what age. Let them pick some, and you share some of your favorites as a child. Surprise them with a new book at the start of each week to enjoy together. If you have older children, get a copy for each of you, and discuss the parts you like, the characters you connect with, and the questions you have. Let reading become your summer tradition.
Click the link below for a great summer reading list by grade and a Summer Reading Bingo game:
For more information on the Holy Spirit Episcopal School advanced STEAM curriculum, go to hses.org, or email [email protected] for a personalized tour.
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Holy Spirit Episcopal School
12525 Perthshire Road
Houston, Texas 77024
713.468.5138
hses.org
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