You’ve been to story time at the library. You’ve been to the pool. You’ve been to the zoo, had a campout, and even gone to the museum—twice!But now that those first weeks of summer are over, the excitement of the break is wearing off and you’re running out of ways to keep your struggling reader from spending hours in front of the television or video game screen.
Instead of asking your child to read another book or listen to you read aloud to the whole family, try a different approach: Find a great book that both you and your child will enjoy reading and read it together. Not out loud, but on your own at the same time—sort of like a book club.
Reading a book along with your child can be a great way to let your reader develop his or her reading independence while also giving you a unique opportunity to discuss what your child reads. Talking about books you’ve both read can help you initiate conversations with your reader about important themes or issues. Plus, it’s a great way to show your kids how much you enjoy reading, which in turn helps them develop their own love of reading.
On top of all that, reading a book along with your child is a great excuse to settle down with a good book and enjoy the thrill of a fantastic read. So start your own little book club with your reader today. To get you started, here’s a list of ten Newbery Medal winners that will keep you both busy turning pages:
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
- Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs
- Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
- Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
For more ideas on helping struggling readers over the summer, click here.
For more information on how Imagine Learning supports struggling readers, click here.
Great ideas! I’m going to give this a try. I’ve always wanted to read some Newbery Award books.
Thanks, Jim. I definitely recommend The Graveyard Book – it’s one of my recent favorites, and just won the Newberry in 2009.
Holes is a favorite of mine (and kids LOVE it!). I’ve hear interesting things about the Graveyard Book, so I’m eager to read it. What’s the target age for it?
The Graveyard Book is on my list too — I heard it opens with a scene that might be scary for children, so most reviews say it’s for ages 10 and up.
[...] also send home book lists to help parents choose good books for their kids to read. Check out our list of Newbery Award winners for parents and kids to read together, or this list of 31 favorite kids’ books for [...]
[...] 10 books to read along with your kids [...]
You are the best writer I’ve seen in a while I told my wife Francine about this blog she’s very much into this stuff
Attractive blog