1. Take a KidWrite Workshop
Our workshops cover the stuff you need to know in a way that’s not half bad. Our upcoming (Jul 28) Get Ready for High School English workshop for rising 7th-9th graders makes sure your kid is solid on punctuation from the comma to the apostrophe, and grammar from personal pronouns to abstract nouns. We also introduce them to rhetorical devices like metaphor, personification, similes, and more. To top it off, we’ll step your kid through our method of going from a prompt to a 5-paragraph essay. Yes, it’s a lot. Yes, there’s homework. There’s always a Zoom each Wednesday evening that starts at 7 PM (ET). Our goal is for your kid to return to school with newfound confidence and a solid skillset.
2. Join a KidWrite Book Club
We love to read, so we’re always up for Zooming with a group of kids who want to talk about their summer reading. The way we run our clubs, not every kid needs to be reading the same book. That’s because we talk about story structure, character development, and pacing as well as story specifics. If you’re interested, use our contact form to let us know. We can have a Summer Book Quest for your child to go solo.
3. Listen to an AudioBook
Yes, listening to audiobooks counts as reading. And, it’s something your kid can do while riding in the car or hanging out by the pool. There are plenty of terrific books, from classics like Rascal by Sterling North to laugh-along books like Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish.
4. Read a Series
Series are great because, once your kid knows the setting and characters, they can focus on the fun. There are series for the youngest readers (Pete the Cat, Frog and Toad, and Biscuit), as well as for those new to chapter books (Henry and Mudge, The Magic Tree House, and Junie B. Jones). And there are series from The Warriors to Ramona Quimby to Redwall for the older ones. Visit the library and have your kids take out several books that look good. Then, direct them to a nook to settle in and treat themselves to a visit with what Katherine Paterson calls “book friends.”
5. Read aloud to a younger kid
There’s plenty of free time in the summer. Why not ask your older kid to use some of it to read to their younger brothers and sisters and their friends? Have them pick a picture book so the kids can follow the story as they read and add the words. Some good ones to start? Any book by Eric Carle, Mo Willems, or Steve Antony to start!