Rebecca Alber, in her blog “How to Inspire Your Students to Read this Summer,” says she wasn’t one of those teachers who was concerned with getting her books back or even back in one piece at the end of summer vacation. In her experience, many underprivileged students would say they had 15 or 20 books in their home: mostly ones they’ve read or that are for younger children.
Alber developed seven tips for teachers to inspire children to read, even in the poorest communities where literacy has the ability to one day set them free from constraints put on by poverty. LifeBound’s books are the nation’s leading resource in supplemental instruction—books on Leadership, People Smarts, Critical and Creative Thinking and our new book, Dollars and Sense: How to be Smart About Money are great summer reads for kids from fifth through twelfth grade. The following is an adaptation of Alber’s insights:
1) Have students give book talks to the entire class. A student’s peers are highly influential. Create a time for students to pitch books to each other.
2) Introduce kids to a book series. Once they finish the first book, kids will be motivated to continually seek out the next book in the series.
3) Provide your students and their families with a list of the “latest and greatest” in fiction and nonfiction. Students can use the list of books as a reference, or for more ambitious readers, a summer reading check list.
4) Create a Facebook page for discussing books for older students. Most kids have access to the internet on their phone, at home or at public places. Students can use social media to talk about what they’re reading during the summer and post book reviews.
5) Start or end class with a “Read and Tease.” Choose a few enticing lines from anywhere in the book. Read it to the class, then display it where the students can see it. Students can check the book out at the end of class.
6) Advise families to take children to the library and bookstores regularly. Teachers can send a letter or email to parents with a list of local libraries and bookstores. You can also include some stats or quotes that highlight the importance of reading.
7) Encourage students to register for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Students log their reading minutes online and receive prizes accordingly. You can send the link to parents in an email.
This June, LifeBound launches a Summer Virtual Academy, Success Habits for Transition to High School. Maureen Breeze, recognized student success and parent engagement expert, will teach students skills like time management, goal setting, and stress management, among other topics that today’s transitioning teens need to succeed in high school and beyond. The Virtual Summer Academy is available for download as a complete course with twelve sessions or as individual lessons. To learn more, click here.
References:
“How to Inspire Your Students to Read this Summer” -Â http://www.edutopia.org/blog/inspiring-summer-reading-students-rebecca-alber?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_content=blog&utm_campaign=inspirestudentstoreadsummer
