Reading Tips for Parents

Research has shown that students who do not have access to quality reading material over the summer are more likely to lose valuable literacy skills while they are away from the classroom. It is imporatnt to encourage parents, business leaders and community members to donate at least five books to their local elementary school. 

Another reason that children do not read enough over the summer is that they cannot find books at their reading level that really interest them. Young people have to want to read a book and they have to be able to read it. Through more than a decade of research, Harvard University professor Dr. James Kim found that children’s reading abilities can actually grow over the summer when they read at least five high-interest books in their Lexile® range. To find out more about Lexile measures and how you can use them to help students fund books well-matched to their interests and reading abilities, visit www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/lexiles.

During the summer, parents also play a vital role in the fight against summer loss. Following are some additional tips parents can use to encourage students to keep the pages turning all summer long:

• Read aloud together with your child every day, and let your child read to you.

• Encourage your child to swap books with his or her friends and then discuss what they have read.

• Set a good example! Keep lots of reading material around the house and limit distractions, such as TV and video games.

• Take your child to the library regularly. Most libraries have special summer reading activities.

• Use "Find a Book" at www.Lexile.com/Fab/ to help your children generate their own personalized reading list.

• Subscribe to magazines that are of interest to your child, like Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights for Children and National Geographic.

• Make reading a part of life. If a text is relevant to a child’s life, he or she will want to read it.

• Discuss with your child what they read. The analytical skills used in discussion are what your child needs for reading tests, not to mention in life.

Click Here to access the K-1 Summer Reading List
Click Here to access the 2nd Grade Summer Reading List
Click Here to access the 3rd Grade Summer Reading List
Click Here to access the 4th Grade Summer Reading List
Click Here to access the 5th Grade Summer Reading List
Click Here to access more information about Lexile Levels