June, July and August are the Bermuda Triangle of learning: thoughts vanish, never to return. In September, teachers often have to backtrack before they can move ahead. That’s especially true for struggling youngsters. The gap between them and everyone else “increases if they don’t open a book from the last day of school to the first day back,” says Marsha Berger of the American Federation of Teachers. Parents can help their kids keep up by encouraging summer reading. “They will gain something from any book, including those that are not the best literary value,” says Carol Santa, president of the International Reading Association. “That’s what summer reading is all about–to get them to love reading.” We have a few suggestions.
Young children
Title: “Bark, George” Author: Jules Feiffer Publisher: HarperCollins Price: $14.95 It’s never too early to start instilling a passion for the printed word. Parents will find that even very young children respond to books that have a repetitive, singsong quality to them, like the just-published Bark, George by Jules Feiffer and the newly reissued Tickle, Tickle by Helen Oxenbury (Simon & Schuster. $6.99). Not only do young children enjoy hearing the stories, “they learn how a book works and that there are the same characters on every page,” says Leslie Holt of the American Library Association. “There are a lot of skills kids pick up, in addition to the enjoyment and endorsement of reading it conveys.” As children get older, parents should set aside time for the whole family to read, says Jewel Stoddard, the children’s-book buyer at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C. “Either have everyone read aloud together,” she says, “or everyone reading their own book. People who do this have kids who love reading.” Parents should monitor the level of difficulty. While it’s fine for children to occasionally pick an easy book, the experts warn that books that are too difficult will discourage children, especially those who are having problems in school. “I tell parents to use the five-finger test. If the child reads 100 words and there are five words they can’t read, the book is too hard,” says Santa of the International Reading Association. Read those books aloud instead.
Ages 4-8
Title: “Swine Lake” Authors: James Marshall, Maurice Sendak Publisher: HarperCollins Price: $15.95 Picture books give beginning readers extra cues to follow a story. “There is strong data that kids who are read to become readers,” says Santa. The best strategy, she says, is to “read books aloud and then talk about the pictures.” A standout this season is Swine Lake, a unique collaboration between much-loved children’s authors James Marshall and Maurice Sendak. After the death of Marshall (famous for the George and Martha series), Sendak finished his friend’s final work.
New readers often gravitate to series. Character names are often the hardest words in a book, and the consistency of language in a series gives kids more confidence. “The fact that they know the characters makes them feel safe and secure,” says Stoddard. If you’re looking for ideas, check out Class President, the newest of the Marvin Redpost series by this year’s Newberry Award winner, Louis Sachar (67 pages. Random House. $3.99).
Ages 9-12
