Summertime – a great reason to read more with your children!

Your child’s long Summer holiday is just around the corner.  As parents, we have to think about planning summer activities for our children.  A study from Alexander et al. (2007) concluded that students from both better-off and disadvantaged backgrounds made similar achievements during the school year.  However, during the summer the disadvantaged youth fell significantly behind in reading.   Therefore, a break from books in the summer may mean your child loses their interest and momentum in reading.

Summer is the perfect opportunity to explore a diverse range of new, fun books with and for your child as there is less pressure of homework and other assignments which often takes up much of your child’s schedule. This is particularly helpful for parents whose children are struggling or reluctant readers as they can tailor their book selection according to the topics or themes that spark their child’s interest, such as music, sports, animals or food.  For book recommendations categorized by theme, parents should check out Bring Me a Book’s latest English book guide, downloadable for free from their website.

Dr. Stephen Krashen’s “Power of Reading” highlights that   1) people who read more, write better   2) children who read one million words a year will have added at least one thousand words to their vocabulary   3) children read more when they see other people reading.

In many parts of the world, Summer is a wonderful chance for a family excursion to the library or bookstores where children can enjoy such a wide variety of books and other fun activities often at little or no cost while the benefit is priceless.

Bring Me a Book Hong Kong Smart Tips: It is our role as parents to help children experience the world of books, to read to them daily and always have plenty of books around the house.  Make reading ‘fun time’ to keep children engaged through conversations about the story and its themes or characters.

 

 

Source:

1)     The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research (2004) Stephen Krashen

2)     Alexander, K., Entwistle D., & Olsen L (2007). Lasting Consequences of the Summer
Learning Gap. American Sociological Review. No. 72, 167-180. Available at: http://www.nayre.org/Summer%20Learning%20Gap.pdf

 

Percie Wong, Trainer of Bring Me A Book Hong Kong