Make Kids' Summer Reading FUN!

Summer is here and with it comes a long, relaxing break from the classroom for millions of children. It will be a time for swimming and playing, enjoying lazy days with family and friends as well as afternoons spent with favorite activities. We hope one of those activities will be some summer reading time, as this can go a long way in retaining and even boosting skills for the next school year.

To help parents and teachers prepare for a summer break that allows and encourages more good reading for kids, we have gathered a list of new resources to make it easy. You'll discover recently published book lists for kids as well as FREE activities and other reading resources for the coming summer months. We hope you will find this list helpful as well as enjoyable for both you AND the children you care about and serve.

Here's are 2 EASY tips to help you get started on a wonderful summer of reading FUN:

1. Bring BOOKS with you EVERYWHERE! Keep a basket with a variety of kids' books in your family room and another in the kitchen. Store a backpack with books ready to read while kids are riding in the car as you do errands and other activities. Bring reading outside to the backyard or on the patio with a weather-proof container of books tucked in a corner.

2. Remember to visit your local library often this summer, too! Your kids will remember those visits for years to come---AND thank you later!

Summer Reading Resources That Are FUN, too!

2018 ALSC Summer Reading Lists (Birth to Grade 8)
from the Association of Library Service to Children
http://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/book-lists/2018-summer-reading-list

Evergreen Audiobooks 2017 (Pre-K to Grade 8)
from the Association of Library Service to Children
http://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/book-lists/evergreenaudio

2018 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
from the ALA-American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/2018-great-graphic-novels-teens

Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge 2018
from Scholastic, Inc.
Welcome to the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge for 2018! Get ready for the best and most magical summer ever! Monday, May 7—Friday, September 7, 2018
https://www.scholastic.com/summer/home/

FREE Activities & Printables for Reading FUN!
from Scholastic, Inc.
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/activities-and-printables?esp=CORPHP/ib/////NAV/Parents/Tab/ActivitiesPrintablesLP////

For information about customizable tools for ALL kinds of readers:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: Brennan Innovators, LLC: www.FocusandRead.com and Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

Math Games to Get AND Keep Them Engaged

Updated July 2015

It's that time of year when children just can't wait for summer vacation to begin, and parents are more than a little anxious about plans for keeping them busy---all summer long.

As we mentioned in last week's article, Reading Games to Get AND Keep Their Attention, it's important to help children avoid the dreaded Summer Slide, the loss of learning and developed skills during the three-month break before the new school year. In that same article, we served up a collection of literacy games for children of all ages to play, to help retain those skills and to be ready for the next academic year.

This week, however, we wanted to provide you with a similar list of math game resources to appeal to the budding mathematicians in your families or the math wizards in your classroom. Even if a child you know is not interested in developing better math skills (or doesn't like math at all!), these games just might turn the tide and entertain that same child while teaching some much-needed math skills, too.

We think you'll discover that these math games will get AND keep them engaged---all summer long!

Online Games Math Games

playKidsgames---A collection of online math games for all ages (FREE)
http://www.playkidsgames.com/mathGames.htm

Math Games---from PBS
A large group of math games to make math learning fun for children K-6! (FREE)
http://pbskids.org/games/math/

Kids' Math Games---Enjoy a wide range of free, online math games, interactive learning activities and "fun" educational resources that will engage students while they learn mathematics. Find cool math games, interesting facts, printable worksheets, quizzes, videos and so much more! (FREE)
http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/

IXL Learning---Online math practice games that seem like play! IXL Learning provides comprehensive, standards-aligned math (and language arts practice) for K–12. (FREE but with some promotional elements)
http://www.ixl.com/promo?partner=bing&campaign=1420&adGroup=math+games+%2F+kids&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search+-+General+-+Exact+-+Global&utm_term=math%20games%20for%20kids

Offline Games Math Games

Tally Mark Dominoes & Speed Racer Math Games---by A. McDonald, No Time for Flashcards
Learning after school at Ms. McDonald's house has to be fast-paced and fun. These math games are both. They are also a cinch to make and inexpensive, too.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/10/tally-mark-dominoes-and-speed-racer-math-games.html

LEGO Math Games---by Cathy James
Do you have a child who just loves to play with LEGOs? LEGOs are a classic, open-ended toy that can be used in so many different ways by creative kids---even with MATH!
http://nurturestore.co.uk/lego-math-games

Secret Code For Kids---by A. McDonald, No Time for Flashcards
This math game can especially appeal to children interested in secret codes and spies!(K-3)
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/06/secret-code-for-kids-math-activity.html

Make Your Own Math Games---from TeachMama
No matter what you need to practice, a make-your-own math game is the ticket to practice that's FUN!
http://teachmama.com/math-writing-stem-apps-for-kids-tabletop-surprises/#_a5y_p=1245165

Unschooling Tools: Games---from Stephanie, Ordinary Life Magic
Lists of boxed games available to help teach specific math concepts.
http://www.ordinarylifemagic.com/2012/03/unschooling-tools-games.html

Other Helpful Math Resources

Tools for Math Games at Home---by Erica MomandKiddo, What Do We Do All Day?
Ten, handy tools you can use with math games! You probably have most of them in a nearby closet or drawer!
http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2012/02/tools-for-math-games-at-home.html

40+ Resources Involving Dice---from KB...Connected
Math games, printable dice, virtual dice, math centers, ancient dice games, create your own dice and much more!
http://kbkonnected.tumblr.com/post/12928926198/40-resources-for-dice-and-everything-dice

SPECIAL NOTE: To access the companion article to the above post, just click on its title here: Reading Games to Get AND Keep Their Attention (K-12)

For more information on customizable reading tools for better focus & improved attention, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Pixabay.com at http://pixabay.com/en/cube-number-cube-color-play-205289/ and
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

Reading Games to Get AND Keep Their Attention (K-12)

It's no secret. Children across the U.S. are excitedly counting the days until the end of the school year. For many, the last day of the year will be just before Memorial Day. For others, especially those having to make up some of the extended winter's snow days, the last dismissal bell may be scheduled for sometime in early or even mid-June. Perhaps this year more than ever, children (and their parents!) are really looking forward to the sunshine, warmth and free time that the coming summer will allow.

With all of this anticipated fun just round the corner, how can parents keep young minds engaged over the next few months so that their children won't experience the dreaded Summer Slide, a term often used to describe the loss of learning when young minds sit idle during the three months away from school for summer vacation?

It can be more than a little challenging to ask children each summer day to daily work math problems or to read a non-fiction book a week from the first day of the summer break until Labor Day. Such suggestions just might be met with protests and resistance, unless the children are naturally avid readers or little math whizzes. However, you can pair brain-sharpening games and activities with reading and math content to keep those little (and larger) brains fully engaged all summer long. What's more, we're going to help you do it!

This week we have collected a list of links to more than a few reading games (categorized according to grade/age level) that will help your children enhance their reading skills AND have fun doing it. Isn't that what the summer should be about? The use of the resources here will also enable them to have a little more structure to their daily schedule and help them appreciate more the unstructured or personal free time they'll have, too.

It is so important to keep children reading and learning in some fashion all year long---even during the summer vacation time. "Motivating children to read throughout the year is essential to building lifelong readers," says Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. "And reading is the doorway to all other learning." So check out our reading game resources provided for you here, choose the ones that might work best with your children and then watch them enjoy reading and learning ALL summer long. They'll be SO ready for the next school year if you do!

GREAT Reading Games to Get AND Keep Their Attention

Reading: Games, Activities & Resources (for Ages 5-8) (FREE)
Here are 12 enjoyable and helpful ways to nurture your children’s reading skills.
http://lessonslearntjournal.com/reading-games-activities-resources/

Fun Reading Games for Kids : How to Teach Kids New Words with "Throwing Dice," the Reading Game VIDEO (recommended for Grade 3) (FREE)
Learn new vocabulary words and home spelling skills with this dice game for 3rd graders.
http://www7.buyerpricer.com/Video.aspx?videoid=1pz-dqGFCGI&slk=Free+Reading+Games&cid=3242313214&kwid=20440517819&uq=reading+games+for+3rd+graders&nid=2&term=Free+Reading+Games&vx=0

Reading Games for 3rd Graders VIDEOS (most FREE)
A list of links & videos of reading games for Grade 3.
http://www7.buyerpricer.com/landing.aspx?slk=reading+games+for+3rd+graders&iscid=10000003&nid=2&cid=3242313214&kwid=20440517819&dmt=e&bmt=bb&dist=s&uq=reading%20games%20for%203rd%20graders¶m1=¶m2=¶m3=&vx=0

Reading Games for 4th Graders VIDEOS (most FREE)
A collection of reading games (with accompanying videos) for Grade 4.
http://www9.buyerpricer.com/landing.aspx?slk=reading+games+for+4th+graders&iscid=2000005&nid=2&cid=3324466773&kwid=20469111847&dmt=e&bmt=bb&dist=s&uq=reading%20games%204th%20graders¶m1=¶m2=¶m3=&vx=0

Fifth Grade Vocabulary Learning Games (FREE)
As they prepare to transition to middle school, fifth graders enjoy reinforcing their regular vocabulary lessons with entertaining learning games that not only teach them new words in language arts but also develop their interest in learning. Practicing vocabulary concepts in a fun way ensures that students acquire new language arts skills while setting the stage for a lifetime of learning appreciation.
http://www.vocabulary.co.il/fifth-grade-vocabulary-games/

Reading Bingo from ScholasticKids (for Gr. 5-8) (FREE)
Print out the FREE STACKS Reading Bingo card available on this website. Use it according to the directions provided OR make up your own game for your next trip to the library!
http://blog.scholastic.com/ink_splot_26/2014/03/reading-bingo.html?esp=Stacks/ib/20140423/unpd/readingbingo/STACKS/

Reading Games for Middle School (FREE)
A collection of language arts games for Grades 6-8.
http://www9.buyerpricer.com/landing.aspx?slk=reading+games+for+middle+school&iscid=2000005&nid=2&cid=3325884045&kwid=20471955653&dmt=p&bmt=bb&dist=s&uq=reading%20games%20for%20middle%20school%20free¶m1=¶m2=¶m3=&vx=0

Language Arts: Middle School Games (some FREE)
These games are from such sites as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a large international learning company, Beacon Learning Center, Merriam-Webster and the Adult Literacy Media Alliance.
https://sites.google.com/site/gameonlearning/la-middle-school-games

Reading Comprehension Games for High School---by Andrew Button (FREE or with materials on-hand)
Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills for high school students. Without reading comprehension skills, it is impossible to effectively study most subjects. However, while the importance of reading comprehension is obvious, the means for learning it are not so clear. If your child or students have trouble with reading comprehension, use games to make learning the skill fun and interesting.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12130822_reading-comprehension-games-high-school.html

Fun Reading Activities for High School---by Peggy Epstein (FREE or with materials on-hand)
Providing alternate activities for teenagers can increase their interest in reading and build valuable skills. These activities can be used with all subject areas, allowing for a variety of worthwhile and entertaining reading activities.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6373895_fun-reading-activities-high-school.html

Reading Games and Activities from K12 Reader (for K-12, categorized by grade level)
Here you'll find reading games and activities to help teach important reading concepts in the classroom and at home. Interactive activities like these make learning more fun for students and help them to understand the material.
http://www.k12reader.com/category/reading-games-activities/

Sources
Keeping Kids Off the Summer Slide from Reading Is Fundamental(RIF) & education.com
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Keeping_Kids_Off/

SPECIAL NOTE: To access the companion article to the above post, just click on its title here: Math Games to Get AND Keep Them Engaged

For more information on customizable reading tools for better focus & improved attention, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Photo credit: paloetic via photopin cc and Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

BEST Critical Thinking Apps = GREAT “Brain” Workouts

With summer here, it’s a great time to sharpen those critical thinking and problem solving skills. This week, we are bringing you collections of apps that will help to do just that. These apps can be used at home now during the summer break or in the classroom once the fall semester begins.

These apps focus on increasing critical thinking and brain-building skills that can enhance classroom center time, individual instruction time or even serve to teach kids problem solving skills once they've finished their other work. In addition, when you improve brain "connectivity" and function, you improve all other cognitive skills---even one's reading ability and academic SUCCESS!

We hope you will find this list of apps to be most helpful for giving your brain a “tune-up” in the days ahead. At the same time, you will probably find them entertaining as well! Enjoy!

A collection of critical thinking apps---all in one place!
http://teacherswithapps.com/tag/critical-thinking-apps/

Think-O-Meter App---The Think-O-Meter app here will test your critical thinking skills.
http://critical-thinkers.com/2011/03/critical-thinking-theres-an-app-for-that/

A FREE critical thinking app: Idea Sketch app
http://d20ipadusergroup.wikispaces.com/Critical+Thinking+Apps

Discovery Learning: Games Designed to Let You Fail---A collection of apps (some FREE, some for low cost)
http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/2012/01/ipad-games-designed-to-make-you-fail.html

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Clip art courtesy of: http://www.123rf.com/photo_3437622_a-light-bulb-shines-in-the-head-of-a-thinking-woman-concept-of-a-bright-idea-invention-inspiration-m.html

Skill-Building Apps for Challenged Readers

With summer nearly upon us, there are some students and their parents who may be searching for good apps to improve in the following reading skill areas:

• Focusing
• Word-attack skills
• Fluency
• Tracking
• Comprehension
• Retention

We thought this would be an ideal time to provide our readers with apps for these specific skill areas. That way, over the summer break, students (and others) might be able to “brush up on” areas of weakness so that they will be improved by the time the new fall term begins. Here, then, is our list of APPS for the above reading skills:

Reading Skills Apps

Reading Remedies This app is like having shelves of assessment books and binders of "go to activities" in your pocket or at your fingertips. This is a great site for reading teachers or parents of struggling readers.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reading-remedies/id423213168?mt=8

FREE Word Attack App for Android Improve your vocabulary while having fun with this improved variation of the word-search game genre. No rules. Words appear in any location in any order. Find the words based on the given hints. Installs on external SD card for Froyo.
http://www.freeware4android.net/google-android-2-2-1-device-1909/word-games-tag/word-attack-download-40234.html

Word-Attack Apps for iPhone, iPad Good apps for improving a reader’s word-attack skills (some FREE)
http://appfinder.lisisoft.com/ipad-iphone-apps/word-attack.html

Top 12 Reading Comprehension Apps (from Reading Rockets) Apps that provide practice with specific comprehension skills, including sequencing, differentiating between fact and opinion, developing word awareness (through ant¬onyms, synonyms, and homophones), as well as several mind mapping apps (some FREE).
http://www.readingrockets.org/pdfs/Top-12-Comprehension-Apps.pdf

There’s a Special App for That – Part 7: Apps That Support Literacy Instruction Part 7 of “There’s A Special App For That” series on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad apps for students with special needs. (Scroll past chart with 7 building blocks of literacy to access Part 7’s apps.)
http://www.inov8-ed.com/2011/03/theres-a-special-app-for-that-part-7-apps-that-support-literacy-instruction/

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Clip art courtesy of: http://www.clker.com/clipart-64843.html by: lizsantiago07

It's Time for Summer Reading!

Can summer really be just around the corner? Are your children or students counting the days until the arrival of the “lazy, crazy days of summer”? Well, that’s pretty normal. However, as a teacher or parent, you’re probably more concerned with “What can we do to help the kids retain what they have learned this year?” or “How can we keep them reading over the summer vacation?”

To help you, we have provided here some resources that should point you in the right direction. We have book lists for boys and those for girls. Some of these lists include recommendations for teens as well. We also have reading lists provided by educational entities whose names you will most certainly recognize. Please use these lists to share with your students’ parents and to enrich those lazy summer days of your own children.

Have a safe summer, and please remember that READING can be the BEST bridge activity your child can do this summer---or anytime!

Happy “Summer” Reading, everyone!

Summer Reading Lists for Boys, Girls & Teens

1. Great Books for Boys (for various age levels---via About.com)
http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/toppicks/a/books_boys.htm

2. Best Books That Appeal to Boys (by grade groupings)
http://boysread.org/books.html

3. Top 10 2012 Summer Reading Lists For Kids and Teens (from Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Guide)
http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/forparents/tp/summer_reading.htm

4. Books for Boys (by Max Elliott)
http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/

5. Eighteen Highly-Recommended Books for Girls (various age levels-from Random House)
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/promos/greatbooks/booklist.html

6. Reading List for Girls and Young Women from the NCCD (Nat’l Council on Crime & Delinquency)
http://www.justiceforallgirls.org/resources/BooksforGirls.pdf

7. Reading List for Young Girls (list from blog article by Ms. Blair Peter---other lists included)
http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2009/06/reading-list-for-young-girls.html

8. Sylvan Learning Center’s Recommended Summer Reading List (by grade levels)
http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/summer_reading_list.cfm

9. Kumon’s (English) Recommended Reading List (by reading level, genre, & author)
http://www.kumon-english-rrl.com/

10. This special edition of the WeAreTeachers Book Club List includes 20 brand-new books that are just right for summer reading. There are recommendations for every grade level, so print out the list and share it with students, families and colleagues!
http://community.weareteachers.com/t5/WeAreTeachers-Blog/The-Teacher-Report-20-Summer-Reading-Picks/ba-p/12527

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Clip art courtesy of http://webclipart.about.com/od/homeoriginal/tp/Summer-Clip-Art-Header.01.htm

How to Avoid "Summer Brain Drain" and Other Smart Strategies

It’s often called “summer brain drain” by many teachers. The term describes the loss of learning that occurs in children during the summer break from school, a very real and annual concern for teachers as well as parents. What can parents do to help their children avoid this?

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been talking about this topic with my young students in grades 2 through 5 as the end of the school year has been fast approaching. Some suggestions and resources were also provided for the children and their families.

One bright-eyed, third grader described how he keeps his skills sharp over the summer. Tyler told the class that at the beginning of every summer, his mother purchases a skill-building workbook for his next grade level. She also buys one for each of his brothers, and they work together in their respective books several times each week. It is no surprise that all three children are successful in school. This is just one way of keeping “summer brain drain” at bay.

Other strategies can also promote skill building and retention over the summer. Many of them are available at low or no cost. Just a little effort and forethought might be needed. Here are just a few:

1. Encourage your child to read often. Surround your child with books wherever and whenever possible. Regular visits to your local public library go a long way in establishing good habits of life-long reading and learning. These visits can also be great opportunities to spend quality, family time together---and the price is certainly right!

2. Set aside time each day to read to your child. This will show him that reading is very important to you and your family. It will also increase a child’s desire to read independently. Consider a “family reading time” for obvious, additional benefits.

3. Promote reading in the many things you already do with your children. Ask them to read street signs, menus, game directions, cereal boxes, and other items. This will demonstrate that our world provides much information and opportunities through the reading of words and text. It will also promote independence.

4. Consider providing a journal for your child, a place where she can write about the books she is reading during the summer. You might recommend that she write an alternative ending to a favorite book. Looking back through the journal at the end of the summer will remind her of all the reading she has accomplished in only a few weeks. She will also have improved her critical thinking and writing skills.

5. Do you have a reluctant or struggling reader? You might suggest books (at first) with a few more illustrations and a little less text per page. Another idea to consider: audio books (also available at your local library). If you discover that your child learns best by listening (an auditory learner), this approach will be a very good idea. Share this discovery with your child’s teacher when the fall semester begins. It will be helpful information for that teacher and invaluable for your child’s future classroom success.

So, you can do much to help your children “stay sharp” over the summer months. Just think ahead, plan, and be prepared to have a wonderful summer of reading together! Next fall, your children will thank you (and so will their teachers)!

For more information:

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com For ADHD focusing tools that work!
www.BrennanInnovators.com For ADHD info and support
314-892-3897