By Alexis Treat
Summer is in full swing, and as the sun shines brighter, so should the minds of our little ones. While the break from school is a time for relaxation and play, it’s also a golden opportunity to keep learning alive. Research shows that students can lose up to two months of reading skills over the summer, but fear not!
Engaging your kids in fun, educational activities can keep their minds sharp and ready for the fall. We’ve handpicked a selection of literacy activities that promise to keep young minds engaged and excited.
Kindergartners
Alphabet Match Dash
Work with your growing reader to match uppercase and lowercase letters. Create pairs of cards featuring each uppercase letter and each lowercase letter. Shuffle the cards and lay a set of them face up on a table. Then, it’s time to beat the clock! Have kids make as many upper- and lowercase letter matches as they can in a minute. For more hands-on practice, have your reader trace the letter in a tray of sand or on sandpaper.
First graders
Storytelling through photos
Build your child’s understanding of story structure with this photo-taking project. Talk about a familiar story, pointing out that it has a beginning, middle and end. Then, have kids use toys or objects to tell their own story. They should take three photos showcasing story structure. As you look at the pictures together, ask about each part of the story.
Second graders
Get artistic
Figurative language, such as similes and metaphors, can be tricky. Authors use these comparisons to help readers form pictures in their minds.
• My room is a pigsty.
• My brain is a sponge.
• It’s as light as air.
• She slept like a log.
Have your reader illustrate these examples, and talk about why an author might use them. Look for more examples of figurative language the next time you read together.
Third graders
Prefix Hopscotch
Write some prefixes on the ground with chalk. Have your reader jump to each prefix, read it aloud and name a word that begins with the prefix. Bonus points for defining the word or using it in a sentence!
Here are some common prefixes to try:
• Con- • Dis- • Mis- • Multi- • Non- • Re-
Fourth graders
Scavenger Hunt
Bulky. Peculiar. Flimsy. Encourage your reader to use describing words like these to help them focus on details and develop a rich vocabulary. Talk about the meaning of each adjective, have your reader use it in a sentence and brainstorm related words together. Then, send kids on a scavenger hunt for items that fit each description.
Fifth graders
Super Sort
Words can be related to the same topic but have different shades of meaning. Think of the words cool, warm, hot and boiling. They can all describe water but cover a range of temperatures. Create sets of word cards using words like these and have your reader sort them across each spectrum. Talk about the subtle differences in meaning.
• Easy • tricky • challenging • grueling
• silent • quiet • noisy • thunderous
• drip • trickle • flow • gush
Now is the perfect time to infuse fun into learning and keep your child’s mind as active as their play. The activities we’ve shared are not just educational, but ensure that your child’s summer is filled with joy, creativity and growth.
For more literacy-based activities to do with your school-age kids, visit Lexia’s Summer Literacy Activities page. This summer, watch your child blossom into a curious and knowledgeable individual ready to take on the new school year with confidence and enthusiasm.
Alexis Treat is a certified speech-language pathologist and currently serves as Senior Director of Curriculum & Resources at Lexia.
