Summer is an ideal time to enjoy reading!  AR tests and novel studies are terrific tools and exercises we   utilized during the school year, but in the summer students can read for just for the enjoyment of it.  We urge you in your homes this summer to limit screen time and promote reading in every way you can.  Here are some practical suggestions for nurturing a love of reading this summer.

1. Read aloud:  Find regular times each day to read aloud to your children.  Many parents think that when their kids learn to read on their own, they no longer need or want someone to read aloud to them.  Kids of all ages and reading abilities need and often enjoy being read to.  They benefit from it as they hear the rhythm of the language, learn correct pronunciation, and discuss words they can add to their vocabularies.  Reading aloud as a family is a great way to spend quality family time.  Consider reading together in the car, at a certain time each evening or even first thing in the morning.

2. Count on the classics: Books are called classics because they continue to engage readers generation after generation.  A copy of the ACSI reading list is attached to this letter in order to aid you in finding classic books to read aloud or to challenge your children to read this summer.

3. Make reading a family priority: Actions speak louder than words.  Take your children to the library once per week, make regular outings to a local bookstore, hunt for low-cost books at garage sales or second hand stores.  You can make it a treasure hunt to find that next great read!

Some great chapter books for families to read aloud:

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Anything by Beverly Cleary

Mr. Popper's Penquins by Richard Tupper Atwater

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski

The BFG and Matilda by Roald Dalh

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Pippi Longstocking by Astird Lingrid

Homer Price by Robert McClosky

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm by Robert C. O’Brien

Another great source for book recommendations is www.triplecrownawards.org.

It has been my honor and joy to serve as the librarian at Emmanuel Christian School for this past year!  I pray that your children will continue to read good quality literature and that their love of reading will translate to them becoming great thinkers and communicators.  Ultimately I desire for them to read God’s word well and communicate the gospel effectively.

Godspeed and Happy Reading, Mrs. Chambers