I need as many ideas as possible for what parents can do
with their children over the summer to help reduce summer
loss. I am a first grade teacher and will be presenting
this information to parents at "Family Reading Night".

I was thinking that maybe I can break it up into
categories (phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension,
fluency, vocabulary) and give ideas for each. Is that too
technical for parents? I want them to learn from this, not
feel overwhelmed.

Thanks for any and all ideas!

[BookMuncher]

There's this really awesome site-- if you haven't checked it out yet:

www.bookadventure.com

You can sign up your class as a group (that's what I did last year) and there's an area where kids can check off everything they're interested in and their level and a list for the library will come up. As they read, they can also take short quizzes and the best part about the whole thing is that you can see their progress over the summer! You can set prizes to give if they get past a certain number. It stinks if everyone doesn't have a computer- but summer reading programs and access to a public library can help.

I teach first also, and this year, I'm going to creat reading totes for every kid. It's going to include: a writing journal (if they bring it back to me with their summer adventures in the fall, they'll get a "mystery" prize... so mysterious that I don't even know what it is!!), barnes and nobles reading coupons (they always have free books for kids who document that they've read a certain number of books) a book log for them to write what they've read, a list that we will create together depending on their likes and level of "Books to Read This SUmmer" and a packet for parents that highlights the research about the importance of summer reading. I mostly site Jim Trelease, concerning reading aloud as well as some other stuff I found online about the amount that you fall back when you don't read over teh summer.

I guess if you wanted to put other stuff besides reading things, you could put a list of rimes you've done this year for the parents. (example: ack, ite, oat) Then parents can do dictations and practice spelling and writing at home.

[fun_friend]

Bookadventure is a great tool to keep kids excited about reading. Maybe the quiz questions aren't very challenging, but the kids CAN check comprehension, earn prizes, and keep a list of books tested.

My kids got their own library cards the other day and were tickled to check out books to read. They read to me and I read to them.

My kids also like playing "Cluefinders" CD-ROM from Scholastic. I would recommend any educational software that parents find. My kids like all that they've ever tried.

Nothing beats having the kids read and be read to though.

[BookMuncher]

Yes, I agree... I don't like Book Adventure for the comp. questions-- I just like the fact that I can keep up with what they are doing, and I like the built in book finding component.

[istoleahalo]

Here is a list of activities I give to parents usualy at the begining of the year but many of them will work for summer activities too. I attached the math one too just in case anyone wanted those activities too.