Family Reading Resources and Support

Adventure awaits this summer through the power of reading! Students are invited to join the Flyer Summer Reading Challenge and challenge themselves to keep growing all summer long. Every minute spent reading helps build stronger readers, thinkers, and learners!

Whether your student reads independently, listens to books, reads with a family member, or explores graphic novels and magazines - it all counts!

Choose Your Reading Level

Level 1: Reading Explorer

• Read 67 different times this summer. (Reading sessions must be at least 5 minutes each.)

Level 2: Reading Adventurer

• Read 670 total minutes this summer

Level 3: Reading Champion

• Read 670 minutes each month this summer

Level 4: Reading Legend

• Read 2,100 total minutes this summer

Challenge Rewards

Students who complete their reading goals will be entered into prize drawings for:

• Exciting treasures await you at the beginning of the next school year! 

Why Join the Summer Reading challenge?

Reading during the summer helps students:

• Maintain and grow reading skills
• Build vocabulary and comprehension
• Strengthen imagination and creativity
• Start the school year with confidence

Most importantly, reading can be fun!

Tips for a Successful Reading Summer

• Create a daily reading routine
• Visit the local library
• Read together as a family
• Let students choose books that interest them
• Read anywhere: at the park, by the pool, in the car, or before bed

Let the adventure begin, happy reading, Flyers! 

Download the Challenge

Spend time reading books together. Choose a variety of genres and topics to keep it interesting. Discuss the story, characters, and illustrations to enhance comprehension.

Engage in activities that help your student recognize and manipulate sounds. This can include rhyming games, sound matching, and segmenting sounds in words (e.g., "What sounds do you hear in 'cat'?").

Use phonics-based resources, such as flashcards or phonics games, to reinforce the relationship between letters and sounds. Encourage your student to sound out words as they read.

Introduce new words during reading sessions and everyday conversations. Explain their meanings and use them in different contexts to help your student retain them.

Combining Heart Word practice with systematic spelling instruction provides a comprehensive approach to building literacy skills that last a lifetime.

• Play Word-Building Games: Use flashcards or apps to practice combining prefixes, roots, and suffixes into new words.
• Break Down Words Together: When encountering a challenging word, dissect it into its morphographs (prefixes, roots, and suffixes) and discuss their meanings.
• C​reate ​Connections Between Word Parts, Words, and Vocabulary:  Keep a list of common prefixes, roots, and suffixes and refer to it during reading and writing activities.​
• Use Word Sorts: Sort words into categories based on spelling patterns or Heart Word irregularities.
• Incorporate Games: Try matching games, spelling bees, or online apps that reinforce Heart Words and spelling skills.
• Encourage Writing: Practice spelling by using words in sentences, stories, or journal entries.

Encourage your student to read familiar texts repeatedly. This can help improve their speed and accuracy. You can also model fluent reading by reading aloud for them to hear.

After reading, ask open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking. Questions like "What do you think will happen next?" or "How did the character feel?" can spark discussions.

Set aside dedicated time for reading each day, establishing it as a fun and enjoyable part of your family routine.

Provide access to a variety of books that reflect different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. This can help your student develop empathy and understanding.

Take trips to a local library or bookstore to explore new books and encourage your student to choose what they want to read.

• https://griver.org/locations/little-falls

• Families READ Toolkit:  resources aligned with developmental standards for early language, literacy & reading
• Graphic Organizers by Houghton Mifflin: used to model comprehension strategies
• Read Write Think: online lessons, activities, worksheets, interactive tools
• Making Sentences: interactive facts, games, quizzes, worksheets
• The A to Z of Teaching Beginning Reading by Dr. Sally Shaywitz: reading strategies to try at home
• ReadWorks: a wide range of access to text, including fiction, nonfiction, and decodables
• Minnesota Department of Education: READ Act