Summer Reading lists

Hi Parents, this post is very much aimed at you! Many children work hard each year to reach their End of Year Reading Goals but then rarely read over the summer and then struggle to keep up at the beginning of the next year. This "summer slide" is often hard for the kids to understand, and overcome quickly. The feeling of being behind is a terrible feeling, I can tell you that from personal experience.  What many of us know, but forget in the hustle bustle of summer fun is that Reading is the most critical skill that our children need to practice everyday in order for their own personal success. 

I have spoken with a parent today, and while there is not a required reading list for 3rd grade like there is in middle and high school, there are some good lists of books available. I have been searching pintrest.com. Here are a few resources that I have seen that I really like! 

http://www.everyday-reading.com/2015/05/100-picture-books-to-read-this-summer.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+EverydayReading+(Everyday+Reading)&m=1. This link an article written by a mom and an librarian. She has come up with modern books that are engaging to her and her children and not as challenging to enjoy as many other books. Her brilliant idea is that if you read 3 picture books a day, then you'll read about 100 books by the end of summer. 

http://www.4tunate.net/2012/05/65-favorite-read-aloud-books-for-boys-readers-choice/ - This link is by a mom of 4 boys. She has a great mix of books that are chapter books and picture books.  I love many of the titles that I saw. If you read the comments listed by other readers, you'll see some more great suggestions. Of course, I din't believe these books are just for boys because I like many if them too! 

http://amongstlovelythings.com/first-novels/ - This link has a very short article, but you also have to follow an additional link and then give your email address to get the list sent to you digitally. "Grr! I say," then they ask you to buy stuff. If they are not asking you to buy books for your kids, then I say "Umm? No Thank You!" 

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/02/75-childrens-books-that-build-character.html - well this link is pretty cool! The author has many books I love and some I steer clear of, which in my mind makes it awesome! She has the list, and each book has a link to where it can be purchased! Brilliant!  

Many of our friends in F10 are into reading chapter books, which is great! I want to caution you, however, about only reading chapter books. My concern is that the kids still need to be able to read a shorter picture book and retell or write a summary of it in under 30 minutes. As they begin to become more successful passing the  Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) they no longer "tell" what was important about the story in sequence, they are only expected to write their responses down. Another thing too keep in mind is that their assessments in 3rd grade are short one page stories with multiple choice answers and short answer questions similar to the reading homework.  They need to be able to do both! 

I want to say that I am very happy with the students growth in reading this year. Everyone made great gains, but I wantto caution you that those skills are very easy to loose. Monday morning at the awards progran, Mr Estell will be passing out the AR Effort awards and then the top 10 AR readers with medals and trophies. I am thrilled that 11 of our 20 friends have placed on 1 of the 2 lists. Can't believe how well many of the kids did with their focus on Reading.

We'll discuss penmenship soon! Oh my Goodness!