Squash the Slippery Slope of the Summer Slide

1. Squash the Slippery Slope of the Summer Slide Bright Ideas for Students for Summertime Learning Fun Presented by Billie Shea, Administrative Literacy Specialist Stanton Network School

2. Why is Summer Reading Important? • “The studies show that students who read more, read better; they also write better, spell better, have larger vocabularies, and have better control of complex grammatical constructions (Krashen, 2009).” 1 • “Too many children spend their summer with no books to read (McGill-Franzen and Allington, 2004).”2 • On average, children lose between one and three months of grade-level equivalency during the summer.3 1 Importance of Summer Reading,http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/summer/research.htm, downloaded 6/13/13 2 Ibid 3 Anne McGill-Franzen and Richard Allington.“Bridging the Summer Reading Gap”, Instructor, May/June, 2003

3. What Mem Fox says… “The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book, and the person reading. It isn’t achieved by the book alone, nor by the child alone, nor by the adult who’s reading aloud—it’s the relationship winding between all three, bringing them together in easy harmony.”  - Mem Fox, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever

4. How to Stimulate Summer Learning • Be a good role model – Make sure your children see you reading. • Read to your children – This will stimulate their “reading juices”. • Read with your children – This will allow them to read more difficult books. • Discuss reading with your children – This raises their thinking and gets them to ask questions.

5. How to Stimulate Summer Learning • Give children books – The more they read books that they get to choose, the more children will want to read. • Have your children play educational games on the computer or the iPad – There are a wealth of great educational Web sites and apps; your bag has some suggestions to get you started. • Take frequent trips to the public library – Library cards are free and they open the world to everyone. Besides books, your local library has computers with access to great educational Web sites.

6. Fun Web Sites to Promote Summer Learning

7. Free Apps to Encourage Summer Learning

8. What Mem Fox says… “The ideal three stories a day are one favorite, one familiar, and one new, but the same book three times is also fine.”  - Mem Fox, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever

9. Web Sites with Reading Picks for Summer or Anytime • Drop Everything and Read Favorite Read Aloud Books – Check out this list of great books to read aloud to your children • Guys Read – Jon Scieszka, First National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature and children’s author, highlights books with special appeal to boys • Kids’ Reading List – Oprah’s picks for all age levels • Read Kiddo Read Ultimate Summer Reading List 2013 – See what great children’s books James Patterson, award winning children’s author, is recommending for summer reading

10. What Mem Fox says… “When I say to a parent, "read to a child", I don't want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate.”  - Mem Fox, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever

11. What’s In Your Bag? Don’t forget to pick up free books on your way out!