Splash Into Summer Reading!
Alabama Reading Initiative's Family Literacy Activities
Our Mission
Summer Reading Camp
Alabama Summer Achievement Program
Alabama Summer Achievement Program schools provide 60 hours of reading and literacy instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade. Check with your local school to find out more information.
Summer Literacy Activities
Paint Words Outside
Vocabulary Word Jar
Vocabulary is closely linked to reading comprehension. This activity will help boost your child's vocabulary through fun, engaging conversations with your child.
Steps:
1. Place unfamiliar words that your child would benefit from knowing in a jar. Include words that have multiple meanings.
2. Ask your child to choose one word per week from the jar.
3. Have a contest with your child to see how many sentences he/she can generate using the words.
Check out the suggested list of words here: Summer Words | Easy Summer Vocabulary Words For Kids (playosmo.com).
Summer Bucket List
1. Read at the park.
2. Read at the library.
3. Read in a tent.
4. Read a biography.
5. Read to a sibling.
6. Read in a blanket fort.
7. Read on a hike.
8. Read at the pool.
9. Read in your backyard.
10. Have a read-a-thon with treats.
*Bonus: The video below shows Alabama's literacy mascot, Short the Squirrel, reading in some fun places.
Governor Ivey's Summer Reading Challenge
Alabama students entering kindergarten through eighth grade are invited to write a letter to Governor Ivey this summer. Share your preferred summer reading book and why it is your favorite. All letters to Governor Ivey should be addressed and mailed to:
Governor Kay Ivey
Attn: Governor Ivey's Summer Reading Challenge
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Access the challenge information here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lthtgdYS_-dv0GiMyTqmhnuWcZS9JBOj/view?usp=sharing.
Summer Book Clubs
Print with Pebbles
Create a Sidewalk Word Ladder
Take learning outside by creating a chalk word ladder to practice reading and spelling skills. Write out a word on each empty space of the ladder, and have your child start at the bottom. Each time he or she moves up the ladder, ask your child to sound out the word he or she lands on. When he or she reaches the top, turn around and do the ladder backward. Also, see if your child can create new words by changing one letter in each word.
Literacy Fun with Food
Build Background Knowledge This Summer
Interesting experiences give kids a broader framework for new information they might encounter in books, and when kids have lots of experiences to draw on, they have a better chance of making a connection with what they read! Help your child build background knowledge this summer with these activities. Access the article here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S2jV6NgAxzYrotacy8gMc7pK9oldR3xM/view?usp=sharing
Word Dive (Fun at the Pool)
2. Grab an eager swimmer to dive for the sticks.
3. Ask your child to read the word once he/she draws it from the water.
Library Scavenger Hunt
Family Read Aloud Time
Travel the World with Literacy in Mind
Summer Scrapbooking Fun
Write a Letter to Your Child and Drop it in the Mail
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!
ABC Scavenger Hunt
Fort/Tent Reading
Book vs. Movie
HOW TO GET KIDS TO READ OVER THE SUMMER
Tips for Parents
Set a goal together: Encourage your child to set reading goals at the beginning of summer. Make sure they are achievable and match your child's reading level. This may include finishing a certain number of books each week. Revisit these goals throughout the summer to make sure your child is on track.
Create a reward system: Create a reward system with your child for reaching certain milestones of the reading goals he or she has for the summer. A reward system will provide extra motivation to keep your child excited and engaged with reading.
Read with your child: There is no better way to have meaningful discussions about what your child is reading than by reading it together! Ask your child questions about the characters and events from the story to improve reading comprehension. Sparking conversations about the book shows your child you have an interest in his or her reading hobby.
Take day trips: Encourage reading by taking your child on field trips related to what he or she read. For example, if your child finished a book about dinosaurs, take him or her to a museum to explore exhibits and learn more. More examples include the McWane Science Center or a virtual field trip to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. These types of field trips are great motivators, and they encourage curiosity and self-directed learning.
Allow your child to pick his or her own books: Don't force your child to read something he or she doesn't have an interest in reading. Your child is more likely to read something he or she picked out.
Encourage Writing
Have some fun with engaging writing activities throughout the summer. These exciting activities are sure to motivate reluctant writers. For example, ask your child to write a “Convince Me” letter on a topic that you may have differing opinions about, such as the amount of allowance they get or their bedtime. For more creative writing activities, click on the link below.
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/7-great-ways-encourage-your-childs-writing
Summer Writing Ideas for Kids
Check out these additional fun ideas to engage your child in writing this summer! Encourage your children to decorate a notebook and use it as their special summer journal to collect all of their writings.
Additional Resources
Reading Rockets - Summer Adventure
The school bell may stop ringing, but summer is a great time for all kinds of learning opportunities for kids. Reading Rockets is packed full of activities and resources to help families get ready for summer and to launch fun, enriching summertime experiences.
Resources - Alabama Partnership for Children
The APC has compiled resources surrounding a FOCUS (Focus On Children Under Six) topic for all organizations that request the information for distribution in local communities. It is our hope that the FOCUS resources will provide more attention to birth-to-five topics statewide.
https://alabamafamilycentral.org/
The Alabama Family Central is a single platform for families to access services and programs. Its purpose is to help families easily navigate and find links to support their needs. State agency partners include Departments of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, Early Childhood Education, Education, Human Resources, Medicaid, Mental Health, Public Health, Rehabilitation Services/Early Intervention, with support from the Office of Information Technology.
Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3
Starfall provides free resources that can be used at home to support reading. These interactive activities place emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, and common sight words. Starfall's systematic approach, in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity, is prefect for Pre K-3, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD,ELL,ESL).
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Sing Along to a Summer Tune
References
"Alabama Literacy Act ,"Legiscan.com/AL/Text/HB338/2019. link act2019-523.pdf (alabamaachieves.org)
13 fun summer learning activities for kids of every grade level. (2017, July 10). Oxford learning. Retrieved March 27, 2023 from 13 Fun Summer Learning Activities For Kids | Oxford Learning
Pink Penguiny. (2017, November 4). The Rainbow Fish, https://youtu.be/QFORvXhub28
Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.readingrockets.org/
Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.starfall.com/
The Singing Walrus. (2016, May 26). Summer Songs for Kids. https://youtu.be/Xg5i9rxxuJM
123Homeschool4Me. Retrieved May 15, 2023, from 📚 FREE Printable Library Scavenger Hunt for Kids (123homeschool4me.com)
30 Activities to Keep Your Elementary Schooler Reading Throughout the Summer. Retrieved March 24, 2023, https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/summer-reading-activities-for-elementary-students/
The information included in this document is done from the perspective of improving LITERACY instruction for students and is only intended to outline support that directly relates to literacy instruction. Please use any resource links with discretion, as their position statements are their own and not necessarily representative of ARI and the ALSDE. Usage of any materials should be with adherence to rules and regulations of the Alabama State Department of Education.