The so-called summer slide is real — research that spans 100 years tells us that kids can lose up to two months of their education during the summer. But there are many ways you can help your child have a summer vacation that includes learning as well as fun.
Here are five ways you can help your young reader keep up her skills during the summer.
1. Join a library summer reading program
Most Atlanta area library branches have programs that encourage kids to read and keep a log of their books.
There are also some fun kick-off events. Gwinnett County Public Library locations have Lee Bryan, That Puppet Guy, entertaining throughout the county; Cobb libraries's kickoff will have a puppet show; and DeKalb's branches will feature a magician.
Barnes & Noble also has a summer reading program. In addition to keeping their reading skills sharp, kids can win prizes — from a free bookmark to tickets to local events.
2. Take advantage of your vacation
Don't think that just because your child is an early reader he can't play car games. Try a modified version of the alphabet game where you compete to find words on signs or billboards starting from A to Z. Also, you can collect brochures at rest stops, and then practice reading as you check out the fun stuff to do in the area..
3. Don't be afraid of technology
According to a recent study by Georgia State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University, the tablet can be your friend in terms of teaching your children to read.
A project to provide children with tablets loaded with literacy apps had positive results in places as widespread as a rural Ethiopian village and a rural low-income community in the U.S.
"There are all sorts of really interesting devices to help children understand what I consider to be very complex processes," Peggy Albers, professor of language and literacy at the College of Education and Human Development, said in a GSU report that touched on the project. "I think it really depends on what the child wants to know and offering him or her the different kinds of resources that are available."
Check out ABC MouseStarfall.com and other interactive literacy sites to help build skills over the summer.
4. Sign up for a camp
The Atlanta area is filled with camps for every kind of kid — sports lover, robot builders and more. Reading is no exception.
Both the University of Georgia and Emory University have summer academy programs that focus on creative writing or reading skills. Plus, the Margaret Mitchell House holds several writing camps, and you can check your local community for any other programs.
In the end, you can make any camp experience a chance to broaden reading and writing skills. Encourage your youngster to keep a daily journal or to make a memory book with handwritten captions to photos or illustrations. They will love to look back at the memories and may not even realize that they are practicing literacy at the same time.
5. Read as a family
While reading can seem like a solitary activity, it doesn't have to be. With the right activities, parents can make reading time a cherished family memory.
Parents or older siblings can read a loud from a chapter book – "Harry Potter," "Nate the Great" or another series can bewitch the imagination of everyone in the family. And the discussions afterward enhance reading comprehension.
Decatur Children's author Carmen Agra Deedy said reading to her children was "sacred."
"I remember reading to my girls every day. It was a sacred time, when the world stood still. And when they grew up, it was gone forever. So, there you go. Don't miss it."
Family game night can also include fun learning games like Scrabble Jr. and Super Why ABC Letter game.
While having fun this summer vacation, add a little reading and writing to ensure your kids become lifelong lovers of reading.
