It’s really important for young minds to stay active during the summer holidays. That’s where reading comes in. Reading with your child gives you a chance to relax and spend time together. It’s also a great way for your child to learn new words and use their imaginations.
Here are our top tips for a summer of reading:
- Make time to read. Reading with your child for as little as 10 minutes a day can boost how well children do at school.
- Holiday destinations. Wherever you’re off to, reading guidebooks, maps and brochures with your child will help get them excited for your trip.
- Make the most of the warm weather and head outside! You can read together in the garden, the park or even the beach.
- Find the perfect book. Your child is more likely to enjoy reading if they get to choose what they read.
- Make links to real life when you are reading. If there’s a picture of a dog, talk about a dog your child knows.
- Get the whole family involved. Reading with different people can be fun for your child and helps them to understand that reading is important.
- Stop reading at an exciting point in the story – maybe at the end of a chapter or even in the middle of a sentence. Your child will be excited to pick up where you left off.
There are lots of fun activities for you to do with your child to boost their literacy skills over the summer.
- Your local park. Head to the park for drawing, writing and reading inspiration. Grab a notebook and get your child to draw pictures of some of the animals and plants they see.
- Use any outdoor space to create a treasure hunt, writing riddles and clues for your child to solve.
- A trip to a farm or the zoo. As you walk around, ask your child questions about the animals you see, and see if they have a favourite animal.
- Explore the beach. You could help your child make a seaside scrapbook as they explore the seashore. They can make a list of all the creatures they find.
- A day at the museum can give your child lots of inspiration for their reading and writing – and it’s often free!
- Arts and crafts. Get the colouring pencils, crayons, paints, stickers and scrap materials out and encourage your child to create a summer-inspired artwork.
- Write a film review. If your child watches a movie over the summer, at home or at the cinema, ask them to write a film review about it.