Thursday, June 27, 2013

Summer reading suggestions: 4th & 5th grades

Hooray - summer is here! During the summer, parents play a bigger role than ever in helping their kids find good books to read. It's often daunting figuring out what to suggest to your child. They might be in a reading slump and turn their nose up at everything. They might be stuck on their favorite series and hesitate trying anything new. Or they might insist that they've read every book you have at home! Here are some suggestions to help:
  • Tap into their friends. When you're driving a group of kids to a game or camp, ask them what were some good books or series they liked. Your own child will groan, but other kids will chime in.
  • Experiment with digital reading - the novelty might appeal to your child. See if your public library lends digital books for kids - more & more are expanding their holdings, and it's getting easier and easier to download books from the library.
  • Try audiobooks. Yes, this counts as reading, too! Offer audiobooks on a long drive or at home. My older kids love listening to books and playing a repetitive game like FlowFree or Subway Surfer. Even better: listen and draw.
  • Think outside the box. Would your child like a new magazine? Do they want to learn about a favorite sport or how to build something? Can you encourage them to research activities to do during the summer - places they want to go, things they want to do?
  • Insist on reading time. Stick to your resolve. Make sure you carve out time each day for reading. It doesn't have to be at night, but often this is a good way for kids to wind down after a busy day. Whenever you do it, remember that it's important you insist on time for reading.
Below are summer reading lists I developed for our school community. This week I'll share all our elementary reading lists. Below, you can download the lists for kids who've just finished 4th & 5th grade. Please feel free to download these, print them and share with your friends.





Most of all, try to make summer reading time a fun, relaxing part of your summer!

©2013 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

1 comment:

  1. I am just lucky my kids love to read. I guess it's because my husband and I also love to read. We do not need to experiment or force them to read.

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