day, August 1, 2013 N/Warren Town and County News Page Nine
Encouraging Summer
Reading
By Risa Young
Teachers across all grade
levels understand the
importance of encouraging
students to read during the
summer vacation. It is
especially important for
beginning readers to
continue to practice and
develop their newly
acquired skills on a
consistent basis. It is also
necessary to provide
parents with information
on how they can support
their child's reading
development during the
summer.
Often children's own
suggestions can serve as a
catalyst to inspire others to
read. Set aside some rime
for the class to prepare
presentations on favorite
books that they want to
recommend to their
dassmates to read over the
summer. Create a summer
reading list based on your
students' favorite books.
You may also want to
choose specific books or
author recommendations
that meet individual
children "s needs or interests.
You can develop indi-
vidualized summer reading
lists based on favorite
authors, genres and
interests. Some students
may need specific skill
building, so you may want
to suggest books that have
prediL'table or rhyming text,
simple chapter books, or
nonfiction books to help
children expand real-world
knowledge and vocabulary.
You may want to send
home books with cassettes
to encourage families to
read together in households
where English is not the first
language.
Some parents may need
specific ideas about where
to find books. Highlight
book rifles from book dub
order forms that would be
beneficial or interesting for
their children. Provide
them with addresses of
local libraries and
bookstores and suggest
educational television
shows or computer
programs that support
language and literacy
development. Include a
list of materials that they
will need at home to
support reading activities,
including writing and
drawing materials for
completing reading logs or
book reports.
Grades: Pre-K through
Grade 3
Family Reading for
Emerging Readers (PreK)-
Provide parents with a list
of books that focus on ac-
OVIATT ELEMENTARY
By Rodney Martinez, Dean of Students
tivities children typically
engage in during the sum-
mer - beach trips and fam-
fly picnics, day camp, out-
door "pretend" adven-
tures, or family vacations.
To help parents prepare
their children for their re-
turn to school at the end of
the summer, include books
with back-to-school
themes. Some great sum-
mer read-aloud books that
feature favorite characters
are Rainbow Fish and the Sea
Monster's Cave by Marcus
Pfister, Little Miss Spider at
Sunnypatch School by
David Kirk and Madeline
Says Merci by John
Bemelmans Mar-ciano.
Encourage families to de-
velop consistent reading
routines with their chil-
dren. Remind them to
pack books in backpacks
for summer trips and to
take along books on cas-
sette so the entire family
can enjoy stories together.
Great Picture Books for
Early Readers (Grades K-
1)-Kindergarten and first
grade students will enjoy
reading picture books like
Henry and Mudge and the
Forever Sea by Cynthia
Rylant, Scooby-Doo Picture
Clue #18: Surf Scare by
Michelle Nagler and Eloise
Takes a Bawth by Kay Th-
ompson. Include informa-
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tional books on their read-
ing list to support outdoor
learning like In the Tail Tall
Grass by Denise Fleming;
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Mary
Reid and Betsy Chessen;
and A Gardner's Alphabet
by Mary Azarian. These
easy-to-read books are
perfect for children with
emergent reading skills.
Encourage parents to read
aloud and reread books
with their children so that
they will become familiar
with the text and learn
new words or master
words that they have dif-
ficulty reading. This will
enable children to practice
newly acquired reading
skills and continue devel-
oping skills over the sum-
mer vacation. Children
who have demonstrated
the ability to read aloud
with an adult should be
encouraged to spend time
reading alone.
Develop a summer
reading log that includes
information that you want
children to record after
reading a book. Reading
logs might indude the rifle,
authOr, main characters,
setting, main idea and a
personal review of the
book. Invite children to
also draw a picture about
the story to encourage
creative-thinking skills.
Molivaling Independent
Readers (Grades 2,3)-
Motivation is the key
whenag
children to continue
independent reading during
their summer vacio Invite
the students to develop a
summer reading list of their
favorite authors and book
Oopic Create thislist as a class
activity. This is a good time 0o
reflect on all the books your
students have read during fle
year- inside and outsidetie
classroom.
You can also provide
children and families with
a list of popular, easy-to-
read series chapter books
like Bailey School Kids:
Wizards Don "t Wear
Graduation Gowns by
Debbie Dadey and Marcia
T. Jones, Captain Under-
pants and the Wrath of the
Wicked Wedgie Woman by
Day Pilke)5 Junie B. Jones Is
a Graduation Girl by
Barbara Park, Cam Jansen
and the First Day of School
Mystery by David Adler,
Henry and Mudge and the
Forever Sea by Cynthia
Rylant and Frog and Toad
Together by Arnold Lobel.
Children are drawn to
these appealing main
characters, engaging plots
and easy-to-read books
that are perfect for
independent readers.
Once they become drawn
to a specific series char-
acter they will become
motivated to read more
books from the series.
Many children become
very devoted to their
favorite series.
By providing your
students with books that
are meaningful and
interesting to them and
giving their parents
suggestions on how they
can support their child-
ren's reading skills,
everyone will be prepared,
motivated and ready for a
summer of great reading.
MAYOR'S MOMENT
Concluded from p. 1
growing pool of ineligible young Americans has a serious
potential to undermine future recruiting and our nation's
security.
Because poor education achievement is a leading rea-
son why three quarters of young Americans are unable to
join the mili one of Mission: Readiness' focuses is on
Early Learning and, specificall3 requesting support of the
2014 Federal Budget that details a new state-federal early
learning proposal. This state-federal partnership would
provide states with the resources to create, strengthen and
expand their own pre-K programs and support child de-
velopment for children from birth to age three.
States across the country are achieving remarkable
results for children who participate in high quality state
pre-K programs. Unfortunately, high quality programs
are not reaching nearly enough of the children who
stand to benefit from them. Data shows that students
who do participate in these programs are 44% more
likely to graduate from high school (HS) and 70% less likely
to be convicted of crimes. Overall, there is a $15,000 benefit
to society for every child served.
And, as you have probably ascertained, this is just not a
military issue. It has ramifications across all of society if one-
fourth of our students do not have at least a high school
diploma. The DSM Register had an article about the income
over one's lifetime as a HS grad or not and it was nearly
$700,000. In ten years, 80% of all jobs will require some edu-
cation beyond high school.
I believe that education is the backbone of America and
we all need to support any initiatives that will enhance our
processes.
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SPORTS PHYSICAI00
Family Medicine at Norwalk
will be offering special dates and times for sports
physicals. Call for an appointment!
515-285-3200
r Thursday, August 1, 4 - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 6, 4 - 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 7, 4 - 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 8, 4 - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 13, 4 - 6:30 p.m.
You can still schedule sports physicals during our
normal clinic hours as well. Please call our office
at 285-3200 to schedule your physical today. When
calling, ask about our special fee for those needing
a sports physical only and will not be filing the visit to
your insurance carrier.
UnitVPoint Clinic
Family Medicine at Norwalk, 801 Colonial Circle
