How Summer Reading Can Take Your Preschooler To The Next Level - Guest Post

Summer is here! This summer encourage your child to read, read, read! Not only is reading the perfect way to relax and unwind, but it is also a great way to ensure that your child enters the next grade level prepared for success.

For the younger child who is not yet an independent reader, be sure to take a few minutes each night to read aloud to him. Reinforce comprehension, ask questions about the story to help him make connections to what you have read. Or, set aside quiet time during the afternoon for everyone to read and then enjoy a special snack afterwards. Children love special times that are out of the ordinary.

If your child is capable of reading on her own, but appears reluctant to do so, you may want to take an active role in guiding her toward books that focus on characters with similar hobbies or interests. Take turns reading aloud with her or alternate every other chapter so that you are reading to one another. Take them to the library often to pick out their own books.

Whether your child has always enjoyed reading or is just beginning to discover joy in it, foster reading enthusiasm by providing plenty of opportunities to read over the summer. Enroll in a reading program at your local library or set up your own incentive program at home.

Set an example by reading in front of your child. Books, magazines, and newspapers all show your child that reading is a daily occurrence, both for pleasure and for information. Visit a bookstore together and spend time picking out books that you both like.

The more your child reads over the summer, the more likely he/she is to make a smooth transition into the next grade level. 

Here is my Recommended Books For Preschoolers: 

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
• In A People House by Theo. LeSieg
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books by Lucille Colandro
• Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton  
• The Hat by Jan Brett
• Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale
• If You're Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera
• Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann
• Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

BIO: Michelle blogs over at Grammie Time. She will be celebrating 29 years of marriage this September, is mother to three grown daughters and "grammie" to her two grandchildren. A transitional kindergarten teacher by day, she considers it a privilege teaching little ones a love for learning. A blogger at night, remembering to let these words guide her in everything she writes; "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29 NLT