You know reading aloud to your child is important. And especially now that kids are home for the summer, it's one of the best times of the year to freshen up your reading routine at home.
You've listened to our podcast episode on how to be your child's favorite read aloud person, and you're ready to start the fun. But maybe you want some new book ideas for kicking this off?
Here are three awesome books to do just that. Here's the quick overview as to why these books are going to be great for your child and how they can make read aloud time in your home the best part of the day!
Book 1 - Weather: Turn and Learn by Isabel Otter
How do most kids know summer is here? The weather of course! All kids are fascinated by changes in what they see and feel outside. This book will give you and your child lots to discuss about summer weather and how it's different than other types of weather throughout the rest of the year. There is so much information found inside these fun interactive pages that this book could provide multiple read aloud sessions over several days.
Talking points:
"What do you love about summer weather? What are you grateful for in this season?"
"How do people stay cool in hot summer weather? What about animals?"
"Let's look at this map/globe. How does weather vary in different places around the world?"
Activity suggestions:
Keep a weather log! You can even do this by taking photos or quick videos on your phone to show what each day's weather is like and record the temperatures. For extra fun, dress up and record a video as if you are weather reporters on the news!
Plant a fast growing seed and place it in a sunny location. Water it and watch it grow over time.
Make a sundial with colored pencils and a paper plate. (Search for easy direction activities online.)
**You can find this book on our online store!
Book 2 - A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen
Hands down, one of the very best summer activities is to go camping. It's inexpensive, provides endless fun things to do and talk about in nature, and helps us unplug from our busy lives and connect with those we love. Some ideas for this fun and wacky book about camping:
Take it on a camping trip and read it while you're out in the woods!
Camp in your backyard (overnight or just for the afternoon) - lay on a blanket in the grass while reading this book.
Read this book inside in a pretend indoor campsite (Pillows and blankets make a great tent, and campfire noises on your phone are a nice finishing touch!)
Talking points:
"What are three things you would pack for a camping trip and why?"
"What is a smore? Can you explain the steps for making one?"
"There's a bear problem in this book. Let's look up how to protect ourselves from bears while camping!" (Look this up on your phone or computer, or do some research at the library!)
**You can get this book at the Meadville Public Library!
Book 3 - On the Construction Site: A Shine-A-Light Book by Carron Brown & Bee Johnson
Take advantage of the warm summer nights to read this book after the sun sets. This "shine-a-light book" is really fun for kids to read because you can shine lights behind the pages to reveal more of the picture. Use a good old fashioned flashlight, or the light on your phone! Starting with our youngest readers and even with older children, construction is an intriguing topic. This book shows all types of construction projects, vehicles, and workers.
Talking points:
"What do you think this building might be used for once it's built?"
"Construction work can be dangerous! How are the workers protecting themselves?"
"This page taught us the word 'hoist.' Let's practice using it in a sentence." (Do a noun and verb.)
Activity suggestions:
When driving past a construction site, stop for a few minutes to observe what you see.
Make a construction themed sensory bin for your child to play with using toy vehicles, rocks, dirt, water, sand, etc. (You can get creative, and the summer weather allows these messy materials to easily be played with outdoors!)
Pretend you are construction workers and practice yelling construction terms on a pretend site. Kids love being loud, and this gives them great practice on using some new words! (Examples: "Hoist up these beams!" or "Fresh asphalt coming through!" or "Beep! The crane is descending!"
**You can find this book on our online store!
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