How to Get Students Reading this Summer

Perhaps the best thing we can do for our young learners is to help them become strong readers. Reading is the foundation of learning and communication, making it the number one way we understand new information. The Mobile Ed team has several easy tips for keeping your kids reading (and loving it) over the summer months.  

This one skill can change the course of your child's learning: reading! Much research has been done on the effects of strong reading ability and comprehension, and the benefits are endless. It is clear that learning is aided by reading and impacts all school subjects. As stated in this article by Iris, “Reading comprehension is the foundation for all other academic skills. It helps children build vocabulary, learn about the world, and understand complex concepts." In addition, students who practice reading at a young age have: 

• • • Advanced vocabulary
    • Enhanced memory 
    • Improved critical thinking skills
    • Better concentration
    • Increased independence and self-esteem

But there are more benefits to reading at a young age than the ability to learn about the world around them and increased academic performance. Reading is a remarkably healthy habit.  Reading as a hobby can reduce stress, teach empathy, improve sleep, and provide motivation. Reading is an essential skill that must be nurtured, and one that if properly nurtured can be developed into a deep, joyous passion for lifelong learning. Though summers are full of sunshine and playtime, here are a few simple ways to make reading a natural part of your summer routine. 

6 Ways to Encourage Kids to Read this Summer

• • • Start Sooner than Later. Don't wait until July to start encouraging kids to pick up a book; start today! Whether the school year is ending, or it's been done for a while, now's the time to encourage a few chapters here or there to begin creating their summer routine. 
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    • Visit the Library. What better place to get kids excited about reading? Not only do modern libraries carry a variety of age-appropriate books in a plethora of genres and formats, but many now offer hands-on activities, educational games, and more. 
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    • Create a Reading List. Sometimes the biggest hurdle for students is knowing what books to pick up. Research a list or create your own so your kids have a great place to start with their summer reading. 
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    • Join a Summer Reading Challenge. Gamification is all the rage in our classroom right now, and it's the same way outside of them too. Joining a challenge offers incentives and support from others that may make your summer reading more successful. 
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    • Start a Book Club. Social support may make your summer reading even easier. It becomes a time of excitement and discussion rather than a chore. 
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    • Track it! Tracking the books and/or genres your kids have read can all them to visual their progress and see their goals. Use an app to track them or create your own!
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Mobile Ed Productions, Inc. provides over 40 different learning programs for schools and educational facilities, but one of our personal favorites is our Young Author’s Day program. In our Young Author’s Day program, one of our classically-trained mime performers will visit your school for a unique presentation using the “art of silence”. Students learn what it means to write a story and will have the opportunity to write one themselves in this interactive assembly.  

In the Young Author’s Day program, students will learn: 

1. Components and structure of a story
2. Differences between writing for the stage and writing for the page
3. How to write their own stories (with assistance from the performer)

Contact us here to learn more about this assembly.