Suggested Reading For Elementary Students

Summer is here and you want to keep your elementary students engaged and reading with these great summer books!

Popular Clone, by M.E. Castle
Protagonist Fisher Bas is a nerd, but he blames his bookishness on his family. With a Nobel laureate mother and a scientist dad, he’s probably right! Fisher uses his natural talents to overcome the difficulties of elementary school by cloning himself so he can send his clone to school while he stays home and plays video games. This book is a great read for those who are struggling to get into books or with social situations.

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
This is a fun read about four elementary school students who set out to make the ultimate candy. Through their experiments, the reader gets to learn about candy making and science which is what this art is based on. This book is so engrossing, you won’t be able to put it down! Try some candy recipes of your own when you’re done.

The Worst Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure: Everest by David Borgenicht and Bill Doyle
This choose-your-own-adventure book is a great read for those who enjoy sport, adventure and travel. You will be the youngest member of a team who will be attempting to climb Everest. The team’s success depends on your choices, so think carefully! This is a cliff-hanging thriller from start to finish!

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This is a delightful account of a Chinese family’s legacy. Minli is enthralled by her father’s bedtime stories about a poor dragon and the old man in the moon. When she sets out to change their fate, and the fate of her family, she has an epic adventure filled with stunning illustrations and incredible characters. This is a really special book that you will find enchanting and touching.

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve
If you loved the Wizard of Oz, you will adore Drizzle. It’s an eclectic mix of humor and imagination that will have you skipping through the crazy farm that Polly lives on. Here bugs can talk, rhubarb tastes like chocolate and the balance of nature keeps everything in check. When the daily drizzle ends, things start to go horribly wrong and Polly must restore the natural balance in order to save her brother’s life.

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
When Henry York opens a cupboard, he discovers a portal to a whole new world. This is the first in a trilogy that is as thrilling an adventure as you have ever been on. When Henry’s family goes missing, he discovers the 100 cupboard doors, each cupboard leads to a new world, but Henry must figure out which ones his parents are in and how to get back to his own world. This series is thrilling, scary and gripping, so be prepared to buy all three books before the summer is though!

Reducing Summer Brain Drain aka Summer Learning Loss

The feeling of the summer vacation stretching ahead of you is great for students. And while reading and math may be the LAST thing they feel like doing, not doing anything during the summer holiday can lead to setbacks in ability. The National Summer Learning Association at Johns Hopkins University claims that students can lose as much as two months of reading and math ability over the summer break.

The summer brain drain means that teachers waste the first four to six weeks when school restarts in September reviewing work that students have forgotten. Students can fall behind if they are slow to get back into the rhythm and then they will spend the rest of the year trying to catch up. Summer doesn’t have to be all about education, but there are ways in which you can help your child/children to stay sharp.

Reading is fun
Take them to a bookstore or a library and get them some books that they will enjoy reading. Books don’t have to be boring, and it doesn’t matter what they’re reading, which means that comic books, anime books and magazines are all great summer reads.

Get them to participate in cooking and baking by reading and following instructions or try some summer projects like woodworking, building robots, building remote controlled airplanes, sewing clothing, learning a musical instrument or making a movie.

Set goals for the summer
Work together with your student to set up summer projects you want to pursue. You can do some of them together and some of them separately. Ensure that they are part of the process so that you have some really big goals that utilize extra summer time and keep young brains working. The summer is a great swathe of time that can be used to make real improvements to you family’s skill set. Imagine learning a new musical instrument, building a canoe to take camping for older students and making a kite or building a playhouse for younger family members. Make sure you set goals for the summer that will help you to spend time together, give you something to look forward to and ensure that your students aren’t bored over the break.

Get a tutor
This may not be something your child wants to do over the summer, but taking a little time out each week will make such a huge difference to the coming year. If your student has been struggling in a subject, or is preparing to write the SATs or ACTs, then a couple of hours of tutoring each week will make the coming year so much better. Get an in-home tutor to help your student to fill in the missing building blocks and gain confidence while improving grades.

Learning experiences
Summer is also a great time for learning experiences like a trip to the aquarium or the zoo, or the museum, watching documentaries or going to the art gallery. Remember that the travel time can be used for reading or conversation. It is also valuable to have your child help plan the trip and prepare for it by planning the route, budget for the trip and pack food and beverages if appropriate.  Learning these skills now will serve your child well down the road!

Post is adapted from a 4/22/13 post on the Tutor Doctor corporate site titled “Summer Brain Drain: How to Keep Sharp Over the Summer Vacation“

Fluency

Reading over the summer is a great way to keep your child’s mind engaged! (Image Credit: http://library.brunsco.net/)

One of the terms parents will hear more of as the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) are implemented across the USA is Fluency.  It is associated with the English Language Arts (ELA) standards that bridge courses such as English, Social Studies and Science.

But, just what is fluency?  Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with expression. Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.

How can I know if my child is ‘fluent’? When reading silently, fluent readers recognize words automatically. They group words to help them understand what they are reading. Since fluent readers do not have to concentrate on decoding words they can focus attention on what the text means. They make connections among the ideas in the text and their personal knowledge. When reading aloud fluent readers do so without effort and put expression into what they read. Their reading sounds almost like they are speaking.

What are signs my child needs to improve their fluency? When fluency is not fully developed the child tends to read slow since they are continuously trying to understand what they are reading. It is almost a word by word challenge for them to comprehend what they are reading. They need to focus attention on figuring out the words thus leaving little time or energy for understanding the text as a whole. Reading aloud tends to be slow, choppy, filled with silence and lacks emotion. As a result of low fluency the reader, both children and adults, find reading to be boring, challenging, and a chore. Thus, they tend to avoid reading and books because it is not pleasurable. When they do pick-up a book they will tend to see if there are pictures in it.

How can I improve fluency? Improving fluency is best to start at an early age. It starts with the parent reading aloud to their child and discussing the meaning of the words and story with the child as questions arise. This models fluent reading to your child and also creates a desire to be able to read and be a part of the story.

As they get older have them read along with you.  Try to read with emotion and attend to punctuation in the text.  Take time to ask questions that help the child express what they think is meant by the words and story.  Remember to let them know what you think it means.

As they get even older have your child read aloud and reread to add emotion and tonal color to their reading.  Trade off reading and challenge each other to see who is the more compelling reader. When reading is interrupted by word-solving or self-correcting help your child understand this is OK.  Answer the questions and then go back and have them read it again. Recording their reading can also be fun and is a good way to help them feel more comfortable with their voice. Also remember that storytelling around the table or campfire without books is also a great device for improving fluency as well as memory, creativity, acting, diction and so many others!

Don’t forget to teach your child how to use a dictionary to find the meaning of words they don’t know.  This can also be done very easily on Nooks, Tablets and Computers, but remember they should still know how to do it with a printed book.  Remember that you are the best teacher for your child and getting the basics down. School and teachers build off what you give to your child so the more you give them the better for your child.  Sure it takes time but it is rewarding!

 

 

Encourage Reading

Thanks to wonderful book series in recent years like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and the Twilight sagas, reading is more popular then ever. If your child is still not reading as much as you would like, there are several ways to encourage them to read more. Instilling reading as a lifelong habit is a great gift to pass on. If your child is struggling to read, it will impact every aspect of their academic careers. Talk to your teacher or consider hiring a tutor to overcome difficulties early on.

So why should we read?
Reading for fun helps students to improve their comprehension skills. This will stand them in good stead when they are in high school and college and have large volumes of material to cover. There are so many benefits to reading:
• Reduced stress
• Higher GPA’s, higher intelligence and better general knowledge
• Better vocabulary and communication skills
• Improved memory and writing skills
• Improved analytical thinking

How do I encourage reading?
Reading must be seen as a fun activity rather than a chore. You can help to perpetuate this perception by participating in reading activities. Read to you child as often as possible; they are never too old or too young. Make sure to read something that they enjoy and let them pick out the books themselves. Other suggestions include:

• Take field trips to the library and let your students select their own reading material. They are more likely to read books that they find interesting. Let them get their own library cards. Help them to find authors that they enjoy so that reading one book leads to the next. Books in series like Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, etc. are great for getting students to read more. Remember to help your child select books that are appropriate and challenge their reading ability but are not too difficult.
• Let your child recommend books to you and then read them so you are able to discuss the novels, characters and story lines. Remember to set a good example. child who see their parents reading are more likely to read themselves. Talking about the book is also important
• Books may be too daunting for some children. Let them pick a magazine subscription instead. Newspapers, magazines and comic books are all acceptable reading materials. Getting them reading and enjoying the experience is key.
• Get your child to read recipes or instructions to you. This will increase their confidence and help you to gauge their progress. Reading aloud is also an excellent way to improve reading skills.
• Have a large selection of books on a variety of subjects at home for your children to read. If they are trying to figure something out or ask questions, get them to look up the answer in a book, rather than on the Internet.
• Strongly encourage reading during the holidays. 77% of students return to school after the summer with the same reading level (or below) as they had when they went on vacation.
• Have a comfortable, dedicated area for reading. Make sure it is well-lit and quiet. Leave children who are reading undisturbed for as long as possible.

Instilling a love of reading and books will be a great gift to give your child. They will be smarter, more eloquent and more likely to cope with the pressures of high school, college and life.

Sunday Morning Shout Out

 ”You may have tangible wealth untold

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be.

I had a Mother who read to me.”

Strickland Gillilan, American Poet

Giving poetic voice to what statistics and educational studies from the National Institute of Childhood Health and Human Development (NICHD) show that reading is the single most important skill for a happy and productive life. Strong readers make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. The other statistics and studies featured throughout this online article, “The Importance of Reading with Children” discusses many important aspects of this issue.

Image Source: http://trelease-on-reading.com

Unfortunately, not reading well has the opposite corollary.  According to NICHD reports, an estimated 10 million children struggle with reading and of those 10 million with reading difficulties, 10 to 15 percent eventually drop out of high school. Perhaps even more telling is the statistic that points to the correlation between illiteracy and juvenile delinquency.  The same article cited that 86% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems and 60 % of percent of inmates are illiterate. Another telling statistic from the report also states that at least half of young people with substance abuse problems and at least half of young people involved in criminal activity have also been found to have poor reading skills.

This is not to lose hope, for parents hold extraordinary power. While specialized school programs, tutoring, community organizations, and non-profit agencies are great resources to assist, promote, remediate, and support reading and reading activities, studies find that nothing is as powerful as the parent! Repeat, repeat, nothing is as powerful as the parent!!

According to the Literacy Connections website, “U.S. Department of Education analysis found that children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading than children who were read to less than three times a week.”

There are cumulative effects with reading to your child, like eating well, exercising, regular healthcare, etc.  When we read to our children, we help them acquire language and vocabulary, and increase their understanding of the world around them.  The study find that children who are frequently read to become better readers, better listeners, and better students, thus having more confidence and self-esteem.

The article “Hidden Benefits of Reading Aloud-Even for Older Kids,” by Connie Matthiessen at is a great reminder about how all aged children benefit from being read to in their homes.  Jim Trelease, author of the Read Aloud Handbook, says not only is it a vocabulary booster, but a reading advertiser. When we read books out loud, we make them tantalizing!  He says it also boosts attention spans and listening skills. He talks about the listening skills do not catch up with reading skills until eighth grade.

Additionally, reading out loud is a conduit for both parents and teachers alike. Books can bridge the “cultural divide” between preadolescent/adolescence and adulthood, opening up numerous subjects for conversation. Books can act like a dress rehearsal for life as they introduce young people to all sorts of new people and situation. He says that for the weary student and teacher who learn in a standardized test drenched environment, even a five-minute reading break, with a teacher reading aloud can be wonderfully beneficial, not to mention refreshing.

With the abundance of electronics in our lives, he calls this generation of students the most “distracted generation” ever. He discusses how important it is for parents to limit their children’s use of electronics and encourage reading in the home. Given the scope of the issue and the weight of its consequences, both negative and positive, better advice could not be given. As parents, we bond with children over books and the benefits  are incredibly, powerfully measureable….

Books Also Make Great ‘Tween’ Gifts

Image Source: http://www.ua.edu/features/tween/video_reading.html

A couple of days ago we put out a post that suggested some books for younger children (4-8). The holiday season is also the perfect time for middle school students to get some reading in before the new semester. The weather is cool and they have a bit of time to catch up on some fun reading. Here are some books you can gift to your student to help encourage holiday reading. Some of the books Tutor Doctor and I’d recommend (most have been tested on my daughter the English Lit. Masters student) are:

The Mysterious Benedict Society
Students reply to a newspaper advert and have to pass a series of tests in order to qualify for the team which embarks on a mysterious investigation. The students go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened where they discover all manner of secrets.

The Harry Potter Box Set
If your student hasn’t experienced the joys of the Hogwart’s School of Wizardry, then this will make a gift of epic proportions. It doesn’t matter if they have already watched the movies; the books are far more action-packed and intricate and will still be a thrilling read.

The Giver
This coming-of-age novel investigates the world where Jonas lives free of choices, pain or war, until (at the age of 12) he is exposed to these elements by the Giver. This is a great novel and your student will not be able to put it down!

The Hobbit
Try to get your student to read this before going to see the movie. The Hobbit is a classic for good reason as readers are taken on scintillatinly exciting adventures with Bilbo Baggins as he sets off from the Shire with Gandalf the wizard to battle dragons for stolen treasure.

Holes
When Stanley Yelnats goes to Camp Green Lakes for the summer, he is transported to a desert devoid of any greenery at all. As Stanley’s summer takes a turn for the worse, he is accused of stealing a pair of shoes and made to dig holes in the desert sand. He soon figures out that the dastardly camp leader is searching for a hidden treasure…

Twilight Saga
This is a favorite that will have your student sitting on the edge of their seats as they enter the intriguing world of vampires and werewolves and follow the tales of Isabella Swan and her romance with 100 year-old vampire Edward Cullen.

Esperanza Rising
Esperanza lived on her affluent family ranch in Mexico until the Great Depression forces her and her mother to flee to California. Esperanza must learn to face life as a farm worker, as well as overcome the hardships of their new financial difficulties to carve out a life in her new home.

Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old with a difference; millionaire, genius and criminal mastermind. Artemis bites off more than he can chew when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit.

Books Still Make Great Gifts

Image Source: http://library.lhs.usd497.org/AnnualReport2006-07.htm

It is getting down to the wire for Christmas gifts and one of the toughest gifts to get young children are books. Luckily Amazon has not put all the local and national book stores out of business. I say this because going to the store is a great way to look for book options and to discuss them with individuals who generally love books. It makes a difference when you can touch the book rather then just look at something on your screen.

Some of my favorite books this year are:

Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, Marjorie Priceman (Illustrator) - Treasury for all Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year

Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell – My Brave Year of Firsts: Tries, Sighs, and High Fives

Sally Lloyd-Jones & Jago – Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing

Chris Alexander – Star Wars Origami: 36 Amazing Paper-folding Projects from a Galaxy Far, Far Away….

Deborah Underwood, Renata Liwska – The Christmas Quiet Book

Jane Yolen, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Rebecca Guay – The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories

Another great source of suggestions is your local library and you can also check the NY Times best-seller list.

 

 

Top Books for Elementary School Children

Image Source: http://storytellingnomad.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/10-christmas-presents-for-book-lovers/

Add books to your Christmas shopping list and get your kids reading during the holidays. Picking books that your children will find enjoyable encourages them to read, improves vocabulary and develops comprehension skills. If you are looking for the very best books to buy your children this holiday, look no further. Here is a list of gift options that is sure to pique the interests of your young readers.

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Willy Wonka’s amazingly marvellous chocolate factory will be open for just one day to five lucky children who find a golden ticket in a Wonka chocolate bar. When Charlie discovers his ticket, he is in for a tour beyond his wildest imaginings filled with chocolate waterfalls, fancy sweets and Oompa Loompas.

2. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
National Book Award Finalist, 2007 Eisner award winner for Best Graphic Album, Eisner Award nominee for Best Coloring and winner of the 2007 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Award. This amazing little book combines the best graphics with a thrilling story that will have you on the edge of your seat; right up until the spectacular twist in the tail.

3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
When Edward, Susan, Lucy and Peter stumble through a magical wardrobe, they find themselves in a wintery world ruled by the evil white witch. To restore the land of Narnia to its gentle wise ruler, the lion Aslan, the four children must go on an adventure of epic proportions.

4. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl; boy genius, criminal mastermind, millionaire meets his match when he decides to kidnap Holly Short, a fairy in the LEPrecon unit. But these aren’t your average glitter fight and rainbow fairies; these are black ops fairies. Even the author describes the book as “Die Hard with fairies.”

5. This Book is not good for you by Pseudonymous Bosch
When Cass’s mom gets kidnapped by the evil genius Sen͂or Hugo, Cass and Max-Ernest must find the magical tuning fork to pay her ransom. Will they find the magical instrument in time? Will they discover the evil ingredient that makes this diabolical dessert villain’s chocolate so irresistible? Will their teeth rot during this adventure? You will have to read it to find out.

6. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Max is a man of very little brain and much brawn. Everyone is afraid of him. He felt very lonely until Freak came along. Freak was a little weird too; he had a huge brain and very little brawn. Together they were unstoppable; together they were Freak the Mighty.

7. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. Riordan has redefined mythology and made it exciting for today’s young readers. This is the first of five books so your young reader will have many days of quality reading over the holiday break!

Home for the Holidays

Image Source: http://www.ckcollegeprep.org/2010/12/09/winter-break/

It is almost upon us … Christmas break! That means trying to find things to do during the Christmas break for your children and you. In this post we’ll look at what the college student can do during the break.

While the Christmas holidays are a welcome respite from the busy school calendar for most college students. This holiday is too short to get a new job or tackle a large project, but they are long enough for you to catch up on your sleep and spend some quality time with friends and family members. Although getting some rest and relaxation is important for you to recharge, you can also use this opportunity to prepare for next semester.

Catch up on your reading during your Christmas break. Ask your teachers for reading lists and get started on reading you will struggle to find the time to do next year. Read books you are interested in so that you can still relax. Reading a couple of books during your break will really help take the pressure off you in the new year and leave you with more time to pursue other interests.

If you are working towards your college or university application, consider using this time to volunteer. There are many volunteer opportunities as people who usually volunteer are away on holiday. Consider a volunteer job in the field that you wish to study. Not only will this help with your college application, but you will also find it a hugely rewarding activity and an avenue for personal growth.

Get moving! Healthy bodies mean healthy minds and if you don’t have much time for your favourite sports, use your break to catch up on your exercise. Christmas break gives you the opportunity for skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, skating, hiking or indoor sports. Have some fun, get a little exercise and help your body to reduce toxins and build muscle.

Get a hobby. Whether your hobby is building model airplanes, cooking or learning a new language, participating in a hobby that interests you will give you the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people. Hobbies make you a more interesting, well-rounded individual and reduce the stress you have accrued during the school term. If you are not sure what hobbies suit you best, try the list of 101 hobbies or the world’s largest list of hobbies.

Christmas clean ups help you to sort through your closets and get your room in order. You won’t have time to get your living space organized during the school year, so take this opportunity to go through your closets and collect everything you don’t need or use. Encourage the rest of your family to join in and then donate the stuff you don’t want to a charitable organization. If you have valuable items, sell them on eBay and use the money to buy Christmas meals and gifts for those less fortunate.

Sharing Your Favorites

Sometimes, there are books that stay with you. My all-time favorite book has to be The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This classic children’s tale, translated from French into hundreds of other languages, deals with love, loss, and other huge life themes in a way that’s accessible to children of all ages.

For a long time, I held my favorite book selfishly (and maybe slightly shamefully, as an adult who loved a children’s book so much), not sharing it with anyone. Slowly, though, I began to open up. I gave copies to family members. I told people that it was my favorite book.

This holiday season, my plan is to donate a few copies of this book to an as-yet-to-be-decided agency that gives gifts out to local families.

What’s your favorite book…and how do you share it with others?