Mrs. P's Reading is Cool Blog

Mrs. P's Summer Reading Tips to Keep Kids Engaged! Plus Activity Sheets

Summer is upon us once again, and that means dusting off my annual tip list to help stop the summer slide. Studies have shown that children who don’t read over the summer can lose many months of reading progress. So I've put together my favorite tips because I didn’t want kids to lose the reading skills over the summer they worked so hard to develop in school last year. It's a perfect time when they are getting out of school to have these in your toolbox to share with them.

In addition to these tips I have some activity sheets you can download too. Plus a video called "Sally's Poor Brain", written by Andrea E. Langholff from Wisconsin, who was a finalist in my annual writing contest a few years back. I have chosen this story to share with kids because of its witty lesson about a brain that literally walks away in search of intellectual stimulation. Some important food for thought!

Make sure you check out this website  I Want to Read.  It is an amazing resource for parents and their kids from Mackin Educational Resources  to keep skills sharp all summer long. 

Here are some of my tried and true ideas from past years:

• Reading simple instructions for a task is a great way to improve comprehension skills.  I've created lots of  fun things you and your child can make.  Fans of “Alice in Wonderland” will love the easy and clever homemade toys and games you can make with materials most people have sitting around the house.  Download Alice_guide for easy instructions. Also check out Captone Kids.  They have all kinds of fun maker activities on their site. 
• Get a public library card. It’s FREE, and most libraries have fun summer and after-school activities (as well as books full of wonderful stories and ideas from the smartest people who ever lived.) You can also find good educational videos and audio books at the library.  I have a special place in her heart for librarians, so tell them Mrs. P sent you!
• Making handmade books out of your child’s story is a great way  to nurture a life-long love for books. You can create simple books in many ways, and the materials can usually be found around the house. I have put together a fun bookmaking activity. You can Download Mrsp_bookmaking to help you get started.  Asking your child to tell you a story helps to develop an active mind. Kids are naturally creative; your job is to give them an environment that will let their imaginations flourish.
• Keep a Reading Log. Keep track of the books your child has read with my Kind-Of-A-Big-Deal Download Mrsp_readinglog.  There's even a place for them to color. Reading logs recognize the value of reading every day and can act as a simple reminder. And remember, all reading counts, whether you are being read to, reading aloud, or just by yourself.
• Download a free poster of Mrs. P or another one of your child’s favorite celebrities from Get Caught Reading   Hanging one of these colorful posters in your child’s room will remind them “Reading is cool and so are you!” 
• Encourage Writing. Reading and writing go hand-in-hand; developing skills for one always helps with the other.  Encouraging your students to make up and tell you a story can be an excellent work-out for the imagination – and also a great class project.  And if they come up with an idea they really like, enter your K-4 class stories in my  Be-A-Famous-Writer Contest. The contest opens every September for entries so mark it on your calendar!
• Enjoy an audiobook. Audiobooks help develop literacy skills.  You can enjoy them anywhere too!  I love Tales2GO because kids can also use them at school.

Enjoy "Sally's Poor Brain"

 

IMAGINATION LAUNCHERS! Helping Your Students Start Stories: Mrs. P’s Easy & Fun Writing Tips

I strongly believe that if you can tell a story, you can write a story.    But many kids find writing about as fun as pushing a boulder up a hill - and just as challenging.  If we can help make writing fun, as well as a regular activity, it can become a lifelong – and life-enriching - habit.  One of my favorite tools to help accomplish this is the writing prompt, or as I like to call it, an Imagination Launcher.  

                                                              
Imagination Launchers not only help kids jump-start their imaginations, they help build skills in areas like explanation and problem solving.  That’s why I’ve created an free printable  Download Imagination launcher worksheet for classrooms to help students see the endless possibilities that await them when they put pen to paper.

Now, as many kids (and teachers) know, I have a lot of pets.  Hundreds of them, of all kinds!  I named one of my dogs Spyri, after the author of “Heidi,” a favorite book of mine when I was little.  Spyri has agreed to help me with my Imagination Launcher.  He’s featured in some fun animated videos and a downloadable worksheet.

Ideas for your classroom

• Watch an Imagination Launcher animation starring my dog Spyri – and let the stories begin!
• Use my printable worksheet and stretch your students’ imaginations with short writing prompts and coloring fun Download Imagination launcher worksheet
• Use writing prompts like these to help your students start their stories:

    * What would you say if you were able to communicate with animals?
    * What do you think pirates did on their days off?
    * If you were the smartest person in the world, what problem would you solve first?
    * How would a spoiled princess survive if she got lost in a forest?
    * What would happen if you crossed a dog with a dinosaur?

 

 

Related articles

Mrs. P Introduces BOOK BITS - Writing Prompts in the Art of Summarization

Mrs. P Puzzlers -Activities and Trivia to Celebrate National Puzzle Day

National Puzzle Day is on Jan 29th every year. Yes, puzzles have their very own holiday!   Mrs. P loves puzzles. They help with spelling, building word skills such as increasing vocabulary and they sharpen skills such as reading, and writing.  Of course there are many wonderful types of puzzles. Puzzles will include jigsaw, picture, crossword, word search, logic, and Sudoku.

TRIVIA TIP: Crossword puzzles are said to be the most popular and widespread word game in the world, yet have a short history. The first crosswords appeared in England during the 19th century. They were of an elementary kind, apparently derived from the word square, a group of words arranged so the letters read alike vertically and horizontally, and printed in children's puzzle books and various periodicals. In the United States, however, the puzzle developed into a serious adult pastime. (source: The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament)

Let’s make a Picture Puzzle:  I like this activity because it helps to encourage creative thinking, language development and my favorite, storytelling skills. Not to mention visual thinking.
          What you’ll need:

• An old stack of magazines suitable to be cut up
• Glue stick
• Some thicker poster paper or cardboard
• Scissors

How to Make:

• Have your students or child select an image from the magazine stack or they can draw their own.
• Have them glue it on a stronger piece of paper (the poster board or cardboard). 
• Help them if needed cut the image into puzzle shapes.
• Test putting the puzzle together themselves.
• Then have them give their puzzle to another classmate to put together.
• Lastly have them share why they selected the image, let them tell a story about it, and ask why they thought it would be a good puzzle.

“This is a puzzling world” George Eliot

Mrs. P Valentine's Card Printables & Happily Ever Afters Playlist

"Bee" a Reader and "Bee" my Valentine!  It's that time of year to celebrate Valentine's Day.  I have put together a fun activity sheet and all you need are some scissors. There are 4 colorful Printable Valentine's for your favorite readers.  Download MrsP_valentines

I also have a special playlist for you to enjoy. Happily Ever Afters! These stories told through the ages, passed down from story-teller to story-teller, tap into our longing to overcome adversity and witness a dreamed being fulfilled. The three stories in this playlist all take us on a journey often with magical elements of a classic fairy tale such as a witch, a fairy godmother, or a handsome prince. They all have one thing in common and that is they have a happy ending.  

Happy Valentine's Day!