ARI's Literacy Summer Fun!
Family Literacy Activities
Our Mission
The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-3 initiative committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will prepare all students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards. The goal of the ARI is to significantly improve reading instruction and ultimately achieve 100% literacy among public school students.
Summer Reading Camp & Alabama Summer Achievement Camp
Summer Reading Camp
Summer Reading Camp is a great opportunity for all students to enjoy learning to read in a relaxing and exciting way. On average, one month of learning and two months of reading are lost over the summer. Children risk losing many of the important skills they learn during the school year. Reading over the summer helps curb summer learning loss and builds good habits when school resumes in the fall. Check with your local school for more information about summer learning opportunities.
Alabama Summer Achievement Program
How to get kids to read over the summer
- Set a goal together: Encourage your child to set reading goals at the beginning of summer. Make sure they are achievable and match your child's reading level. This may include finishing a certain number of books each week. Revisit these goals throughout the summer to make sure your child is on track.
- Create a reward system: Create a reward system with your child for reaching certain milestones of the reading goals he or she has for the summer. A reward system will provide extra motivation to keep your child excited and engaged with reading.
- Read with your child: There is no better way to have meaningful discussions about what your child is reading than by reading it together! Ask your child questions about the characters and events from the story to improve reading comprehension. Sparking conversations about the book shows your child you have an interest in his or her reading hobby.
- Take day trips: Encourage reading by taking your child on field trips related to what he or she read. For example, if your child finished a book about dinosaurs, take him or her to a museum to explore exhibits and learn more. More examples include the McWane Science Center or a virtual field trip to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. These types of field trips are great motivators, and they encourage curiosity and self-directed learning.
- Allow your child to pick his or her own books: Don't force your child to read something he or she doesn't have an interest in reading. Your child is more likely to read something he or she picked out.
Summer Literacy Activities
Water Balloon Toss Activity
For this activity, fill 15 water balloons and write some word endings on them. Examples are: - at, -an, -ar, -ug, and -in. Make 3 water balloons for each ending. Then write the following letters on paper: F, H, C, J, P, B, and M and taped the letter cards to the wall. Allow the child to pick a water balloon to make a word. Have the child read the word and throw the balloon on the letter to pop it.
You will need:
•Water balloons
•Permanent marker
•Index cards
High Frequency Word Hopscotch
Outside chalk games are great for nice, warm weather. Create the hopscotch path using sidewalk chalk. We have included a large list of high frequency words that you can use as you create the hopscotch game.
You will need:
Sidewalk Chalk
High Frequency Word List (Click Here)
Letters in the Kitchen
You will need:
Cookie Pan
Salt
Beach Ball Toss
You will need:
Beach Ball
Permanent Marker
Book to Read (We have included a video below of The Rainbow Fish if you do not have a book at home.)
Suggested Books when visiting the library
Kindergarten Books
All About Oceans by Christina Mia Gardeski
Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin and John Archambault
"A told B, and B told C, I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree." Rascally A entices the whole alphabet up the tree, but the tree cannot handle the weight. All the lowercase letters come crashing to the ground. Uppercase letters rush in to comfort the little ones, and all is well -- for a while -- in this irresistible, award-winning alphabet book. Ehlert's bright, graphic illustrations join the foot-tapping rhyme.
Market Day by Eve Bunting
First Grade Books
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle
Second Grade Books
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Water: Up, Down, and All Around by Natalie Myra Rosinsky
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Third Grade Readers Books
Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard
Whale vs. Giant Squid (Who Would Win?) by Jerry Pallotta
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Additional Resources
Reading Rockets - Summer Adventure
The school bell may stop ringing, but summer is a great time for all kinds of learning opportunities for kids. Reading Rockets is packed full of activities and resources to help families get ready for summer and to launch fun, enriching summertime experiences.
Resources - Alabama Partnership for Children
The APC has compiled resources surrounding a FOCUS (Focus On Children Under Six) topic for all organizations that request the information for distribution in local communities. It is our hope that the FOCUS resources will provide more attention to birth-to-five topics statewide.
https://alabamafamilycentral.org/
The Alabama Family Central is a single platform for families to access services and programs. Its purpose is to help families easily navigate and find links to support their needs. State agency partners include Departments of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, Early Childhood Education, Education, Human Resources, Medicaid, Mental Health, Public Health, Rehabilitation Services/Early Intervention, with support from the Office of Information Technology
Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3
Starfall provides free resources that can be used at home to support reading. These interactive activities place emphasis on phonemic awareness, phonics, and common sight words. Starfall's systematic approach, in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity, is prefect for Pre K-3, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD,ELL,ESL).
Dance and move to a summertime groove
Reference
"Alabama Literacy Act ,"Legiscan.com/AL/Text/HB338/2019. link act2019-523.pdf (alabamaachieves.org)
Education World | Connecting educators to what works. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.educationworld.com/
Pink Penguiny. (2017, November 4). The Rainbow Fish, https://youtu.be/QFORvXhub28
Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/
Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.starfall.com/
The Singing Walrus. (2016, May 26). Summer Songs for Kids. [https://youtu.be/Xg5i9rxxuJM
The information included in this document is done from the perspective of improving LITERACY instruction for students and is only intended to outline support that directly relates to literacy instruction. Please use any resource links with discretion, as their position statements are their own and not necessarily representative of ARI and the ALSDE. Usage of any materials should be with adherence to rules and regulations of the Alabama State Department of Education.