Summer Plans

Powerful kindergarten literacy gains can easily be lost over the summer, especially by our emerging readers and writers who are still building foundational literacy skills.  Wise parents develop strategies to continue supporting student reading fun over the summer.

Parents as Partners: Summer Homework? Summer Fun!
Summertime should provide opportunities to play in the water, climb trees, snuggle in bed with books, and explore nature. As always, keep your family learning projects joyful, active, meaningful, and real. Keep the love of learning alive during the summer. Consider discussing the following ideas with your children:
What Do I Do Now That Summer is Here?

• Sleep outside under the stars. Recite star poems and sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
  
• Ask your parents to tell you stories about what they did during summers when they were
  children.
  
• Teach someone younger how to say several Mother Goose rhymes. Start with: Hey Diddle, Diddle; 1,2, Buckle My Shoe;and Little Miss Mu et.
  
• Ask your parents for chalk. Draw pictures on the sidewalk. Take a picture of your chalk creation and you.
  
• Write a letter and draw pictures about your summer adventures for your teacher, grandparents, or a friend.
  
• Ask your family to take pictures of the activities you do this summer. Make a special book with photos and write captions to explain what’s happening in each picture.
  
• Go to the library and check out books about your favorite animal. See what you can learn. Become an expert! Write about the animal and draw pictures to make your own book.
  
• Collect many kinds of leaves and rocks in your neighborhood. How many di erent ones can you nd? How are they alike and di erent? Tell someone what you learned about leaves or rocks.
  
• Help your Mom or Dad make a salad or dessert. 
• Put on a puppet show for your family or the neighborhood children — and parents.
  
• Blow bubbles. Watch them oat and pop.
  
• Sing family songs. Create a family songbook to read and sing from.
  
• Eat ice cream. Try new avors. Which is your favorite and why?
  
• Keep track of all the birds you see in your back yard or the neighborhood. Talk to your parents about them and learn some di erent bird calls. Check out a bird book from the library.
  
• Take a “ ower walk.” Draw pictures of owers that you notice. See if some adult friend can help you name them and label your pictures – this could even become a book!

• Help plant a garden. Pull weeds and watch the plants grow. Write about your observations in a garden journal.
  
• Play ball-catching games. Learn to kick, bounce, and throw many kinds of balls.
  
• Jump rope, skip, handjive and dance every day – or at least every other day.
  
• Clean out your bedroom and nd old toys and clothes to donate to a homeless shelter.
  
• Help your family create an art and writing center for you.
  
• Write “Thank you” notes and “I love you” cards. Mail them to Aunties and Grandpas. Give them to other people you know.
  
• Keep a journal of all the books you and your family read together. Draw a picture of your favorite character and write about why you like it.
  
• See how many di erent fruit and vegetables you can eat over the summer. Learn about the nutrients they provide. Make a list!
  
• Help your family make a grocery list. Go shopping and check o each item as you nd them.
• Read joke books. Tell jokes to your family and friends.
  
• Take walks and look at the stars. Which constellations can you nd: Orion? The Big Dipper?
  
• Find a cozy reading nook somewhere in your home. Enjoy reading and rereading some favorite books there every day.
  
• Write a message to your Mom or Dad every day. They will write you back!
  
• Make up a song about summer. Write it down. Sing it for your family. 
  
  
  From nellieedge.com