Tips to jumpstart that summer reading!

Cover of Yuk! (Daisy Book)

School's out--who reads? What we know about reading now is that people who read more - well, read more. If this sounds like a circular argument it is. What we know about strong readers is that they tend to be the ones doing the most reading--for learning and for fun.

So what to do? Here's a tip: make sure your reader has interesting reading materials. This may sound obvious but it is important that the materials are interesting to him or her. Just because a surf magazine may look silly to you, if your child likes to flip through the pages and read picture captions--so be it! In fact, this is a skill measured on standardized tests under "reference and research" Just getting your reader interested in a topic is a baby step in the right direction. I cannot tell you how many young teen boys I have seen checking out non-fiction books about front end loaders--Yuk! If he likes it though, read on!

So, get started by finding out what you reader likes by asking. Maybe talk about what you like to get the conversation flowing. Then, when you see him or her reading, get involved by asking about the information. Try not to sound too preachy and act interested! Good luck!