Summer is here, but the IDEA Team & Family knows that learning is a never-ending journey. We encourage all IDEA students to keep their brains active by engaging in summer reading. Reading is a great way to escape the ordinary or learn new things, but data shows that students who read during summer vacation are more likely to score higher on exams and perform better academically once school resumes.
To avoid “Summer Slide”— the tendency for children to lose some of the academic gains they make during the previous school year—here are some suggested tips to encourage your IDEA student to turn the pages during their break.
- Choose the right books. We suggest the “Goldilocks Effect”— don’t select reading that is too easy or too hard, instead make it just right!
- Explore new interests – Encourage your child to explore interesting topics they want to read about. Let them try different genres and formats— fiction, non-fiction, e-books, graphic novels, magazines, or whatever sparks their interest.
- Set a summer reading goal – How many pages can your child read in a day? Search for free reading trackers or book logs like this one online. Post and chart progress toward the goal. Have a friendly family competition with a special reward to show your kids that reading is also a priority for you.
Just in case you need a little help selecting a book for your student, here are our top picks for fun summer reading. Remember, these are not required reading, just our summer suggestions!
1st & 2nd Grade
–Mouse Loves Summer by Lauren Thompson
-Frog and Friends: Best Summer Ever by Eve Bunting
3rd -5th Grade
– Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald
– Starring Grace by Mary Hoffman
6th & 7th Grade
– The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
–The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya