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Today, I am sharing some super simple, super fun ways to keep reading and writing skills sharp during the summer months!

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10 CREATIVE WAYS TO KEEP READING AND WRITING SKILLS SHARP THIS SUMMER

Summer is here! The days are longer, bedtimes and wake-ups have shifted, those piggy toes are filthy, and those sweet little faces are happy. Still, I’m hearing lots of parents talk about summer slide and brain drain. Relax, moms and dads! If there is anything I’ve learned in the last year of my [unexpected] journey into homeschooling it is that learning can be fun! There are countless creative ways fight summer slide. Your kiddos will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they are learning! Today, I’m here to share 10 creative ways to keep reading and writing skills sharp this summer so that you can focus on fun from now through Labor Day!

1. READ ALOUD

Have you heard of The Read Alound Handbook by Jim Trelease? It is my favorite parenting book of all time and I truly believe that if all parents and educators read it, the world of education would change for the better. Reading aloud to your children, even when they are capable of reading independently, is arguably the most valuable thing you can do for their future education. The best part? All you need is a library card!

Feeling overwhelmed with trying to squeeze in read aloud time this summer? Here are some super-easy ways to sneak it in:

Poetry– One of the reasons why I chose poetry for the month of July in our {virtual} Family Book Club is because I know that July is one of those crazy-fun months that goes by in a blink. Save the longer novel for the fall and squeeze in some poetry. Leave a poetry book in your kitchen and read a few poems aloud during breakfast, or keep in on the nightstand for a poem or two before bed.
Audiobooks- Audiobooks are a wonderful way to eek in some learning and read aloud time. Instead of watching a DVD on your summer road trip, pop in an audiobook! Is your audiobook collection lacking? You can make your own, or check out these related posts for some of our favorites:
SKYBRARY by Reading Rainbow- My children have been obsessed with SKYBRARY since we joined a few weeks ago. I love that they are learning with LeVar. After a busy summer day, they cuddle up with SKYBRARY while I make diner.

2.FIND A PEN PAL

Seriously, folks, who doesn’t get excited about a good, old-fashioned letter? Why not set your child up with a pen pal? Over the course of this school year, I have found several pen pals for my children, from Nevada to New Zealand to Tanzania! Does your child have a friend who moved away? Or, a cousin in another state? Do you have a colleague overseas? All you have to do is ask and you’ll be surprised at the interest level.

3.START A BOOK CLUB

You love your book club, am I right? Why not create a book club that your entire family can enjoy? Or, start a book club with the kids in your neighborhood. Get those kids excited and talking about what they are reading! Are you looking for some reading inspiration? Check out our The Books That Fill Our Shelves series!

4. JOURNALING

There so many fun ways to squeeze in a little writing. One easy way is through journaling. Here are several options:

Start a mom and me journal– Last summer I purchased a couple of composition notebooks and would write notes to my kiddos during their afternoon quiet time. They would respond with either words or pictures (depending on age) and it was a super-fun writing activity.
How about an old-fashioned diary? It seems no one keeps a diary these days. There’s something special about having your very own diary hidden away in your room!
Make a summer scrap-book– Take the idea of a diary one step further and create a summer memory book. Chronicle activities, day trips, and vacations! Add photos and drawings to make it your own.
Create a traveling journal- This was one of our family’s favorite projects this year and it was so easy!
Make a grandparent journal- Create a family treasure with this memorable activity.

5. PLAY OFFICE!

One of my daughter’s favorite activities is playing office. And, do you know what? She’s working on those writing skills every single time she plays! Set up a little writing center in your home. Include a variety of writing materials and papers. Add some post-it notes and envelopes and your child won’t be able to resist!

6. ADD A LITTLE SISKEL AND EBERT TO YOUR FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

Everyone adores family movie night! This year, we took our family movie nights to the next level by reviewing the movies that we watched as a family. My kids could not believe that there are actual movie reviewers out there! There are tons of free printables on Pinterest- print one out for each family member and rate the movie and then discuss. Keep all of the printables in a binder and your budding reviewers will have their own portfolio!

7. MAD LIBS

Remember Mad Libs? They are still around and they are just as much fun as you remember. Your child will love them, too, and she’ll have her parts of speech down pat by the time Labor Day rolls around!

8. BUILD VOCABULARY WITH A WORD OF THE WEEK

In order to eek in a little vocabulary this year, I posted a word with its definition on the mirror of my kids’ bathroom. I changed the word weekly and tried to keep it interesting. Have a competition to see who can use the word the most during the week!

9. BLOGGING

Do your kids loathe writing but love technology? Set them up with a kid-safe blog for the summer. Leo was actually the first blogger in our family. He read about blogging in a book and wanted to try it out for himself and so I set him up with a free child-safe account through KidBlog. Later, once I had this lil’ blog, I set up Leo’s Lounge! on my site so that we could collaborate. Set up your little technophile with his very own space for documenting his summer in a fun, and safe, way!

10. STORYTELLING

Oral storytelling is an important skill for both creativity and reading development. When your child tells a story, she is not only practicing her verbal skills, but she’s also reinforcing reading skills including: sequencing, plot and character development, and cause and effect. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Share a favorite memory with your child and then ask her to do the same.
Start a story for your child and then take turns telling the story, one sentence at a time.
Check out these games that help encourage story-telling, imagination, and creativity!
Start reading a book together and then stop and make up your own endings!

AND, REMEMBER…

Don’t forget to include oodles of space between so that your children can enjoy ample play and time spent outside, in nature. Nature and play are so important for child development and happiness and you have more time to spend on these endeavors during the summer months!

Hopefully, this list has helped you to plan some fun learning opportunities for the rest of your summer. I’d love to hear your creative ways for squeezing in reading and writing. Share here!

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Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

Cait is a school psychologist, mom to three amazing children, and an unexpected homeschooler. She loves nature, good books, board games, strong coffee, and dancing in her kitchen. Cait believes homeschooling *can* be almost all fun and games!

Cait co-hosts The Homeschool Sisters Podcast and is co-founder of Raising Poppies, a community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. Cait is also founder of the Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a fantastic community of book-loving parents and the Gameschool Community at My Little Poppies, a vibrant community of gameschoolers.

Cait is a contributing writer for Simple Homeschool. Her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Mighty, Scary Mommy, GeekMom, and many others. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
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