“School’s Out for Summer” These lyrics shout a feeling of freedom each summer as the school year comes to a close. Visions of days at the pool, playing outside all day long, and riding bikes endlessly become a reality as soon as the school doors close on that last day. There’s also a sense of melancholy, too. The structure we’ve become used to is suddenly missing, and learning new things about our world with our friends is no longer an every-day experience.

Yes, kids need the downtime that summer brings, but they also need to keep current with the skills they’ve learned during the year. Studies show that children who do not read during the summer tend to fall behind and spend time each fall catching up. One way to prevent this slip is to encourage reading over the summer. The public library, local bookstores and numerous web sites have extensive reading lists of great summer fiction and non-fiction texts. The important thing to remember is to consider the interests and reading ability of your child. Enlist the help of your child in selecting reading material…don’t forget to include magazines and news articles, too. Have fun exploring different genres and learning about our world with your child.
Check out the sites listed on this blog, too - there's lots of resources available! Feel free to post questions, email, or call me if you have comments or questions!

Have a wonderful summer!

Kathy Heim
Literacy Coach
kathleen.heim@oldham.kyschools.us