May 2021 Newsletter

Summer Learning | Books & Authors | For Teachers | For Parents | News, Events, and Research

Summer Learning: A Season for Reading and Active Learning

Summer is coming, at last, after a year of masks, social distancing, and screens. Time for kids to discover new interests, new books, and the pure pleasure of reading just for fun. And time for hands-on explorations (outdoors when possible!) to connect kids with what they're reading — that helps build background knowledge to get everyone ready for the challenges of the new school year.

Summer Literacy Challenge!

For most parents, it's a challenge to keep kids reading and writing all summer. Suddenly 10 weeks of summer can feel like a very long time. We've got 10 ideas to help make this summer full of fun, creativity and learning.

Related:

Active Read Alouds

The best story times are very interactive: You are reading the story and asking questions, your child is talking and there is lots of conversation between the two of you. Watch how one reading volunteer engages kids in active conversation about vegetables, and how an outdoor "milking station" turns into a memorable way to learn new vocabulary words like "pasteurizing." (To set up your own farm station, download our Farms activity, in English and Spanish).

Summer Reading for Kids Who Need Encouragement

Reading is hard for many children, so summer reading can seem like a chore. Encourage reluctant and struggling readers by introducing them to these different formats, such as magazines, graphic novels, and audio books.

You might also suggest chapter book series that reintroduce familiar and beloved characters in new stories, in a writing style that feels familiar. Try the Judy Moody and Stink series by Megan McDonald, the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, or the Hank Zipzer series by Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler. For more book suggestions, see Favorite Books for Kids with Learning and Attention Issues, based on our survey of parents and educators. Be sure to add some of your own favorites in the Comments section!

Building Background Knowledge

As we transition into summer, we’re thinking about how to use unstructured time to help children fill their “knowledge bank” about the world. Follow children’s interests – some will dive deeply into science while others may be more interested in the creative arts or history or cultures of the world. Here are some resources to explore:

Start with a Book

On our companion summer learning site, kids choose topics they want to explore (dinosaurs, detectives, bugs, flight, folktales, stars, music …), find great kids’ books for each topic, and then dive into some of the hands-on activities, writing ideas, educational apps, podcasts, and websites for inquisitive kids. You’ll also find our free toolkits and guides for home or summer programs: Space Rangers, River Rangers, Storytellers, Trailblazers, and Our Democracy. Bird Buddies, our newest toolkit, will be available at the end of May!

Nature: Our Green World

Do you know any outdoorsy kids who are happiest dipping their toes in a freshwater pond, searching for animal tracks, listening for birds, or hiking to a waterfall? At Start with a Book, we've gathered up a great collection of fiction and nonfiction books (and some poetry!), activities, apps, and websites for learning all about nature.

Related (in English and Spanish):

Trailblazers

Meet remarkable women and men of color who helped shape our world. Browse our library of picture book biographies — scientists, writers, poets, athletes, pilots, activists, dancers, musicians, inventors, astronauts, and more. In our new Meet the Trailblazers guide, you’ll find 14 featured books, each with reflection questions, hands-on activities, and writing ideas — to jump-start conversations, curiosity, and exploration.

Listen Up! Podcasts for Kids (and Their Parents)

Podcasts are a wonderful shared listening experience for kids and parents, where you can learn about how the world works, find out about music, or just hear a great adventure story, together. Here’s a fresh list of fun, fascinating (and family-friendly) podcasts.

Children’s Books & Authors

Celebrating Asian Pacific American History and Culture

A good book can open a child's eyes to new places, new customs. From family stories (Grandfather's Journey) to folktales (Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story) to feeling connected to a new culture (The Name Jar): discover the rich culture, humor, and traditions of Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Hawaii in this collection of picture books for kids 3-9 years old.

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Our Interview with Linda Sue Park

Park brings Korean history and culture vividly to life through her richly imagined stories for young readers. She creates unforgettable characters that cross centuries and continents, yet still feel fresh and relevant – like the 12th century orphan, Tree Ear, from her Newbery-winning novel A Single Shard. Her newest book, Prairie Lotus, was recognized as the 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature honor book. We also love her lively, clever sijo poems from Tap Dancing on the Roof.

Reading Without Walls: Our Interview with Gene Luen Yang

Gene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade. In 2006, his graphic novel, American Born Chinese — a memoir about growing up as an Asian American — became the first graphic novel to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. He is the author of the Secret Coders series and has written for the hit comics Avatar: The Last Airbender and Superman. In 2016, Yang was named the 5th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and selected as a MacArthur Fellow.

Related:

In October 2017, five award-winning authors for young people — Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, Jarrett Krosoczka, Jon Scieszka, and Gene Luen Yang — gathered for a funny and insightful panel discussion about how to motivate boys (and any reluctant readers) to read more. Watch the panel discussion: How to Get and Keep Boys Reading.

Reading Without Walls: In this video blog, Gene sits down with authors and illustrators (including some of his favorite graphic novel creators) that he meets as he travels the country in his role as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Children’s Books Featuring Characters with Autism or Asperger’s

Understanding autism can begin with stories about a child, sibling, friend, and classmate (and even a kid detective!) with autism or Asperger syndrome. This collection includes picture books for elementary age children and their families as well as chapter books for middle school and high school readers.

For Teachers

UPDATED! Writing 101: Professional Development Module

Try our updated self-paced learning module on evidence-based writing instruction. Dig deep into the key elements of writing — basic mechanical skills (handwriting, spelling, grammar and punctuation); a strong vocabulary; an understanding of genre, text structure, and voice; organizational skills; and higher-order thinking. Learn more about the writing process and instructional strategies that work. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

Looking at Reading Interventions: Reading Multisyllable Words

Reading expert Linda Farrell shows third grader Xavier how to read and spell unfamiliar multisyllable words. To figure out how many syllables are in a word, Ms. Farrell teaches Xavier to ask two questions: How many vowels are in the word? Are the vowels together or apart? In a separate video, Ms. Farrell listens to Xavier read aloud to help him read with accuracy.

And try the NEW Viewer’s Guide and Facilitator’s Guide created especially for this video, to support professional development in your school or district. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

Related:

Watch other episodes in our Looking at Reading Interventions series

Overcoming Learners’ Bias to Give Our Students What They Need

“Because teachers tend to have been students who learned to read without struggle, we generally liked school, did well in it, and therefore chose to spend our adult years teaching. But our experiences of learning to read are not like those of our students, the majority of whom require systematic, explicit instruction in order to learn how to make sense of printed text. When we strive to give our class the kind of reading instruction that was good enough for us, we may be depriving our students of the instruction they actually need. Kareem Weaver, of the Oakland NAACP, has called this trap “learners’ bias” because the ease with which we learned to read clouds our ability to see what students need from us.”

Learn more in this blog post from Margaret Goldberg, teacher, literacy coach, and co-founder of Right to Read Project

For Parents

Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading for Bilingual Families

Question: I am still learning English myself. How can I help my child learn to read in English?

One of the most important things parents can do is provide lots of language and literacy experiences at home. In this video Q&A, language and literacy expert Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan suggests that you share family stories with your child, use descriptive vocabulary in everyday conversations, and try to read aloud for at least 20 minutes each day to model fluent reading and comprehension skills.
See all Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

Related:

Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)

There are many ways that families of English language learners (ELLs) can support language and literacy at home. Colorín Colorado’s new series of 8 tips for families is available in 16 languages. Share these tips with your families via text, email, WhatsApp, social media, email, or by printing out the tip sheets. We make it easy to share!

Communication in Babies and Toddlers: Milestones, Delays, and Screening

Did you know that a baby’s brain is developing the most rapidly during the first two years of life? These early years offer a critical window of opportunity, like no other time, to launch language early and get a jump start on school success. Learn the milestones that develop from 7 to 24 months.

Related:

Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading

One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These "mind movies" help clarify information and increase understanding, and can be done with fiction or nonfiction text. The images can include any of the five senses. Try practicing visualization with your longer read-aloud books. (In English or Spanish)

News, Events, and Research

Voyager Sopris Webinar
Speech to Print vs. Print to Speech: Does It Make a Difference in Beginning Reading Instruction?
Wednesday, May 26 | 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Presenters: Louisa Moats and Margaret Goldberg
Join this presentation as two literacy experts discuss the rationale and implications of "speech to print" in early reading instruction. Examples of several curricula to contrast a speech-to-print approach with the inverse will be shared. The presenters will analyze writing samples and lesson formats from first grade programs to demonstrate the importance of orienting students to spoken language as the anchor for processing print.

Prototype app for mobile devices could screen children at risk for autism spectrum disorder
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Every Summer Counts
Language Magazine

Designing Fun-Filled Summer Learning Programs That Students Will Want to Attend
The 74

Leveraging Technology to Support Students’ Needs
Edutopia

Little Free Libraries' New Initiative Brings Diverse Books to the Twin Cities
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

A Simple Exercise For Encouraging Independent Reading
The New York Times

Finding some ‘normalcy’: Virtual field trips help sustain arts programming in Detroit schools
Chalkbeat Detroit

A Schoolwide Focus on Improving Students’ Reading Skills
Edutopia

5 Tips for Starting a Nonfiction Book Club for Kids
School Library Journal

VIDEO: Making Classrooms More Inclusive for Multilingual Learners
Edutopia

Six principles for high-quality, effective writing instruction for all students
Fordham Institute: Flypaper

How to Make Teaching Better: 8 Lessons Learned From Remote and Hybrid Learning
Education Week