Reading is a pleasurable summer activity with educational benefits.  Reading together as a family makes it that much better!

 •  Select a book that will keep the interest of all family members.

 •  Make this time relaxed and enjoyable, but stop to explain or discuss items that come up.

 •  Read with expression at a slightly slower pace.

 •  Read together before or after a family activity, such as a meal, Bible reading, or bed time.

 •  Read at the table, sitting together on the couch, or outside.

An alternative is to listen together (at home or in the car) to an audio recording of good literature, such as those from your local library or Sing ’n Learn.

To help your children enjoy reading and to benefit their character and education, select their reading materials carefully.

You can read aloud to your child at a higher reading level than his own, but select a more comfortable reading level for him to read independently so he does not become frustrated, skip over words, or have low comprehension.

A standard that can be applied to selecting literature is found in Phillippians 4:8:

 •  True.  Story is based on truth and reality.

 •  Honorable.  Christian character is reinforced.

 •  Just.  Appropriate consequences are meted out.

 •  Pure.  Characters and story are pure. Sin is not described, admired, laughed at, or rewarded. Language is clean.

 •  Lovely.  Beauty is portrayed (in illustrations as well).

 •  Of Good Repute.  Emphasizes what is good about things.

 •  Excellent or of Virtue.  The material is moral and edifying as well as of high quality.

 •  Praiseworthy.  We can praise God for what we are reading.

Read more about negative moral elements and options in Newsletter #23 and an article, "A Biblical Approach to Objectionable Elements" on the BJU Press website.

 •  Select or read to your child books that meet his needs and interests and also stretch his horizons.

 •  Select a variety of literature: historical fiction, biography (including missionaries and great Christians), nonfiction (even textbooks), poetry, drama, and books set in different time periods and geographic locations.

 •  Look for books in a series.

 •  Unabridged books are usually best.

Watch your child grow by reading good books this summer!

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The Bible is the spiritual nourishment that our families need to grow in the Lord.

If you have never experienced the blessing of reading larger sections of Scripture, this summer may be a good time to try it.

Following this daily schedule will enable your family to read the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs in 31 or 62 days.

Take turns reading aloud as a family or follow along while listening to a recorded tape or CD of the Bible.

Listen to your selection of translations and languages online at BibleGateway.com.

Use one of these options (estimated reading times are based on recorded readings).

 •  Read it all at once in 31 days. (50 minutes each day)

 •  Read half as much each day and take 62 days to complete it. (25 minutes each day)

 •  Divide the daily readings into morning and evening segments. (25 minutes twice each day for 31 days; 12.5 minutes twice each day for 62 days)

Also see The Teaching Home’s unique Bible-in-a-Year Reading Schedule and tips.

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It is very encouraging, as well as useful, to record all the books each of your children has read.

 •  For younger children you can make a large or small decorated poster and list the books they read with a simple plus or minus mark indicating whether you would recommend the book or read it again.

 •  Print and paste this simple form (or make your own) on poster board or construction paper and let your child decorate it with his own art, stickers, or photos cut from a catalog or magazine.  You can also find an image of the book he has read on the Internet, print and cut it out and paste on the chart.

 •  For older children, notebook pages give space for more details such as:
- Book title and author
- Number of pages and date read
- Genre (nonfiction; present-day, historical, or science
  fiction; biography; fantasy, etc.), subject, or topic
- Overall rating (e.g., 1-5, with 5 = highest)

 •  You and/or your child can discuss and add a Christian worldview evaluation that might include the positive or negative examples set by the characters, whether good was rewarded and evil punished, etc.  See more on evaluation of literature in Newsletter #23.

 •  A book report can also be attached.  Print book report forms for fiction, biography, fairy tale (fantasy or science fiction), historical novel, mystery, non-fiction, and more.

These records will be encouraging for your child to see how much he has read.

They will be valuable for you to ensure that your child is reading a variety of genres and positive Christian worldview books.

You will also be able to know which books are good for your other children to read and which books you can heartily recommend to others!

Your reading club can be an informal meeting once a week, twice a month, or just one Book Party.  It can consist of members of your own family or a group of other homeschoolers.

 •  Exchange recommendations for favorite books and why you like them.

 •  Present oral reports or speech and drama projects; do an art project together. See "100+ Creative Book Reports / Unit Study Activities" in Newsletter #26.

 •  Have a book party or presentation with each child giving a five-minute book report (a traditional report or an idea from the list in Newsletter #26), perhaps dressed and acting as a character in his book.  Set up a table to display books and projects. Refreshments can include some suggested by the books.

 •  Have everyone read the same book and discuss it, using some of the questions from past newsletters on reading comprehension: inferences, analysis, application, and evaluation.

 •  Use a literature study guide.  See suggestions in Newsletter #26.

Sharing your book with friends or family will make it more enjoyable!

Use your gift of reading to bless another.

 •  Find someone older to read to as Jo and Amy in Little Women read to their elderly aunt.

 •  Read to a child. One of a child's favorite things is to be read to - and it takes so little time and effort.

 •  If you are not able to read in person, tape record your reading and send it to your grandmother, a shut-in, or even your little cousin that lives across the country.

 •  Learn to read expressively and meaningfully:
- select something that is easy to read
- read at an appropriate pace
- group words in natural phrases
- enunciate words clearly
- use appropriate intonations
- try to sound like the person speaking in the story
- pre-read your selection while practicing these skills

 •  You can also read together in your own readers’s theater.  Read how to online.

Don't forget the joy of reading together as a family!

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If your child is ready, you can teach him to read this summer, saving you much time and stress during the coming school year.

 •  Start with short lessons and gradually increase the length. If your child becomes frustrated during a reading session, stop on a positive note, rather than try to finish the lesson.

Instruction materials can be a simple manual such as A Beka’s Handbook for Reading or Valerie Bendt’s Reading Made Easy which includes the words you say to explain the lessons to your child.

A good phonics system will teach all the letter-sound connections used in English words, 87 percent of which can be read by sounding them out with the rules of phonics.

 •  See Newsletter #97 or the 184-page online Curriculum Guide for Reading Mentors for more in-depth information on teaching your child to read, including pre-reading phonics practice and teaching phonics step-by-step.

Teaching your child to read does not need to be difficult—all you need are a few phonics resources, patience, and enthusiasm!

For a child that is still learning to read, it is very helpful for you to sit down with him and listen to him read a little bit each day.  He will profit from the practice, and you can encourage him, catch any mistakes he makes, and become aware of gaps in his reading skills.

 •  Select good books at an appropriate reading level (see above).

Note: Many of the library’s easy readers may not be good for your child to read; nonfiction books may be safer, but watch for nonbiblical elements of evolution, humanism, occultism, modern youth culture, and psychology.

 •  Check comprehension by asking questions and having your child retell in his own words a portion he has read.