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Summer Reading 2021 Letter to the school

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Brighton District Library Summer Reading

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Brighton District Library Summer Reading

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PBS has developed this FREE learning resources for learners in grades K-3. All subject areas. Daily virtual lessons and assignments. Wow! What a fabulous resource to continue the learning this summer!

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Michigan Learning Channel - A Public Media Partnership

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Trusted PBS Resources Designed for Michigan Students The Michigan Learning Channel provides educators and families with free PBS videos and printable resources designed to ensure all kids succeed. Teach, Practice, Reinforce. All for Free. Always. Teachers and educators use our videos and free printables as direct instruction in the classroom, as take-home assignments, or for students who need extra practice [...]

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Brighton Families, let's bombard social media with the stacks you will be reading this summer!

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Why is Designing A Summer Reading Plan Important?

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Why is Designing A Summer Reading Plan Important?

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Why rereading books helps to build strong literacy skills.

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Why rereading books helps to build strong literacy skills.

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Can you recite Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown by heart? Are the pages of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. falling apart from the hundreds of times you have read it?

Though sometimes we feel like covering our ears when we have to read that one book one more time, rereading books is actually a very good thing.

Whether we reread a book to a child or an independent reader wants to reread a previously enjoyed story, there are many benefits that can come from the act of rereading.
Repeating, Reviewing, and Remembering
The more we engage with a story, the more we take away from it. That is often why, as adults, we choose to reread those classics we were assigned to read as students in school. We're sure to get more out of the book that second or third time we read it.

Similarly, when kids listen to the same story multiple times, they pick up new information, dive deeper into the meaning of the book, and make connections between themselves and the book - as well as between the book and other books they've heard.
Developing a Thirst for Books
Letting kids pick books they want to be read aloud is important for helping to develop a thirst for books. Book choice is powerful. In fact, according to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, many of us are letting our kids do just that. The report found that 81 percent of kids ages 3-5 pick their own books for read-aloud time.
Bonding as a Family
Reading any book together can help your family bond. In fact, many of us look forward to those bedtime reading rituals. Chances are you remember a book that your family read aloud numerous times growing up. For me, it was The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia M. Scarry each holiday season. Build traditions by sharing your favorite books over and over. (Check out these ideas for great family read-alouds.)

MORE: Bring Your Family Together With Books
Getting to Know a Friend
The more time we spend with someone, the better we get to know that person. Books are the same way. The more time a child spends rereading a section, a favorite quote, or the entire book, the more connected the child feels to the story. The key here is that your child chooses to reread the words because she wants to engage with the book a second, third, or even tenth time.

One of the reasons that kids (even adults) love to read book series is because they bond with the characters. They want to know what is going to happen next for their book friends. We want to keep reading. How many of The Baby-Sitter's Club books by Ann M. Martin did you read growing up?
Rereading Fills the Gap
Sometimes it can be tough for kids to find books they enjoy. The Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report found that 41 percent of kids struggle with finding books they like as they get older. So, rereading past favorites keeps kids reading while they find their next book match.

You can help kids find their next book match with a multitude of book list recommendations on Scholastic Parents.
Building Fluency
Newly independent readers need lots of practice to get past the word by word choppy reading into fluent reading. When a child chooses to read a favorite book over and over again, he is getting lots of practice to build fluency.

So the next time your little one asks to read Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin three times in a row or your independent reader wants to read Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey for the sixth time this month, embrace it and enjoy the reading ride.
To connect with Jodie Rodriguez visit Growing Book by Book.

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6 Benefits of Rereading Books (Over...and Over) for Kids

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Repeat reads of books - whether as read-alouds to little ones or through independent reading - generate big benefits for your child.

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Researchers have found that the four language skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all integrated and contribute to people’s understanding of the world around them. Listen to this book and head outside! Talk about all that you hear!

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This fun family project is meant to bring your family closer together over good books, good food, and great conversation.

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Welcome to Family Dinner Book Club! This fun family project is meant to bring your family closer together over good books, good food, and great conversation.

Are you new to this fun project? Here is what you need to know to get started.

All About Family Dinner Book Club

Family Dinner Book Club invites you to share a great story, great art, great conversation and great food each month. A variety of picture books and chapter books will be chosen for your enjoyment.

The project is perfect for children ages 4-8, but can easily be adapted for younger and older children.
On the first of each month, we will share a craft to make with the kids you can use to decorate your dinner table, a menu for your meal, conversation starters related to the featured book. We will also share a family service project.
You will then have the rest of the month to read the book, complete your service project, make your table decorations and enjoy your meal.

Growing Book by Book, Chef Sarah Elizabeth, and Sunny Day Family will be working to bring you Family Dinner Book Club each month. I will be sharing conversation starters and a service project related to the featured book. Sarah from Chef Sarah Elizabeth will bring you a yummy themed menu. And, Laura from Sunny Day Family will be sharing easy table craft ideas.

You are welcome to follow along each month with us or pick a previous month to do.

Also, follow along with us on our Facebook page! We love to see pictures of your special dinner. Plus, we share extra materials to support your book club each month.

Family Dinner Book Club Picks

2020 Family Dinner Book Club List

In 2020 we are traveling through the decades through books and movies. Each month we will select a book from each decade that also was turned into a movie. As always, we have conversation starters, activity, and themed menu for your book club needs. Click here to see the line-up.-> 2020 Books Through the Decades Family Dinner Book Club Schedule

2019 Family Dinner Book Club List

For 2019, our focus for the year will be Children Making a Difference in the World. Each month we will focus on a different topic that kids can focus on to make a difference. A large book list will be shared as well as conversation starters, a themed menu, table decorations, activities, and a family service project. Click here to see the list.-> 2019 Family Dinner Book Club Line-Up of Kids Making a Difference

2018 Family Dinner Book Club List

The 2018 focus is on character strengths. Each month a different character trait will be highlighted. A large book list will be shared as well as conversation starters, a themed menu, table decorations, activities, and a family service project. Click here to see the list.-> 2018 Family Dinner Book Club Line-Up.

2017 Around the World Family Dinner Book Club List

Check out where we are traveled to in 2017. Here's our 2017 Around the World Family Dinner Book Clu b Line-Up!

2016 Book List

View our 2016 Family Dinner Book Club List.

Previous Book Clubs (The Archives)

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

The Littles by John Peterson

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate

Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

If Kids Ran the World by Leo and Diane Dillon

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

The Day the Crayon's Quit by Drew Daywalt

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Cook-A-Doodle-Doo by Janet Stevens

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco and Bookmarks Are People Too by Henry Winkler
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Dumpling Soup by Jama Kim Rattigan

Feedback from Family Dinner Book Club Participants

"So glad we found your site! My 4 y/o daughter and I did the service project and donated toys to an animal shelter. I thought she might be a little too young for it but it turned out to be a fantastic experience for both of us! Thank you!" Stephanie regarding Mr. Popper's Penguins Book Club

"My daughter keeps wanting to read it over and over again, and she loved seeing footage of Ivan!" Jazmin regarding Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of The Shopping Mall Gorilla

"My 7 year old son LOVED this book! It's been quite a while since he's been so engaged in a book. I used Daisy at Home's ideas completely!" Carla regarding Where the Sidewalk Ends

Get Notified When New Family Dinner Book Clubs Are Released
Sign up for our special Family Dinner Book Club newsletter. You'll get an email when a new FDBC is released each month.->Sign Up By Clicking HERE

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Welcome to Family Dinner Book Club! This fun family project is meant to bring your family closer together over good books, good food, and great conversation. Are you new to this fun project? Here is what you need to know to get started.

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How to write a plan to help achieve your reading goals this summer.

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Jump in...take the challenge! Long books, short books...they all count!

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Use these hashtags when posting your reading life on social media platforms

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So many fun activities to develop strong fluency skills!

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So many fun activities to develop strong fluency skills!

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If you've been around classrooms and teachers, you've probably heard the term "fluency." Fluency is something worth knowing more about! Read on to find out what it is and how to develop it in your young learner.

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Learning Letter Sounds with Automaticity - Sooo many ways!!

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Learning Letter Sounds with Automaticity - Sooo many ways!!

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Help your child develop and strengthen their phonic skills.

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Letters and Sounds: Practical Ideas for Parents

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Provide your child with the opportunity to learn that written words are made up of letters that match the sounds in spoken words.

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Teaching your child their letter sounds with gestures is fun!

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Teaching your child their letter sounds with gestures is fun!

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When you are done viewing, head over to the Educate column and play some letter sound activities!

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Have you ever struggled to help your child read and spell unknown words? Take a look at some quick tips!

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The world is filled with interesting words! The key to becoming a great word collector is to start tuning in to interesting words. All you need is a pencil, an observant mind, and some slips of paper. Check out this quick video for inspiration!

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Use the lists below to encourage your children to choose anything they want to read for as long as they can. Enjoy reading together!

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Playing with words is fun and helps build one of the most important skills needed for reading. This essential skill is called Phonological Awareness.

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Blending and segmenting games and activities can help students to develop phonemic awareness — the ability to hear the individual sounds in spoken words. Begin with segmenting and blending syllables, and then move to working with individual sounds (phonemes). Learning to blend and segment sounds is key to learning to read.

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This will give your child the opportunity to write or draw his/her activities from the day. When you ask during dinner what they did during the day..there will be no more “I don’t know” or “nothing” answers!

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Not all "reading" looks the same!

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Discussing Social Justice with Young Children

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Discussing Social Justice with Young Children

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This is a collection of books for children that address race in a positive way. Understanding and change begin at home.

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Copy of Discussing Race with Young Children Virtual Library

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Readers ages 13+ are invited to respond weekly to the question, "What got your attention in The Times this week? Why?" All the details can be found in the link below. Get your voice out into the world!

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Middle and high school students are invited to tell us what they're reading in The Times and why. The contest runs from June 11-Aug. 19.

Update, Aug. 27: This contest is closed. You can see the winners from this summer This announcement is available as a one-page PDF to hang on your class bulletin board. here.
Every year since 2010, The Learning Network has invited teenagers around the world to add The New York Times to their summer reading lists. So far, more than 70,000 have done so.

If you are looking for ways to offer students more "voice and choice," we hope our open-ended contest can help. Every week, we ask participants to choose something in The Times that has piqued their interest, and then tell us why. At the end of the week, judges from the Times newsroom pick their favorite responses, and we publish them. It's that simple.

Though our goals include some that appear on many educators' lists - helping students become more aware of the world and their place in it; learning how to navigate sophisticated nonfiction; and practicing writing for an audience - we also hope that students will realize that reading the newspaper can be fun. As you'll see in the guidelines below, they can choose anything that was published on NYTimes.com in 2021. The subject matter isn't important; we just care about why they chose it.

Here's what you need to know:

Video

An example of how our weekly contest works. Students in the United States and Britain who are 13 to 19 years old, and students elsewhere who are 16 to 19, can post a comment. Credit Credit... Callie Holtermann

When the contest begins on June 11, we'll post directions both here and at the top of this page for how to submit. But in short:
Any 11- to 19-year-old anywhere in the world is invited to join us, if you are in middle or high school, or if you graduated from high school in 2021 and haven't yet started college.

Every Friday starting on June 11, we'll post a fresh version of this question: "What got your attention in The Times this week?" We will link to each week's version here. Here is an example from last summer. How you respond to this question will depend on your age:

Students ages 13 to 19 in the United States and Britain - and ages 16 to 19 elsewhere in the world - can submit by posting a comment on the post itself. You can see examples of what that looks like by visiting this post from last summer and clicking on the comments.

If you are a teacher, parent or guardian of a student or child who is ages 11 to 12 in the United States and Britain - or ages 11 to 15 elsewhere in the world - then you must submit an entry on the student's behalf using the form embedded in each week's post.

_________

1. Every Friday beginning on June 11, we will publish a post asking the same question: "What got your attention in The Times this week?" That's where you should post an answer any time until the following Friday, when we will close that post to comment and open a new one that asks the same question. On Aug. 13 we'll post our final question of the summer, open until midnight on Aug. 19.

You can always find the proper link to the place to post at the top of this page, updated each week. You can also always find it on our home page.

To see how this works, visit this post from June 2020 and check out the student comments that were submitted at that time.

2. You can choose anything you like that was published in the print paper or on NYTimes.com in 2021, including articles, Op-Eds, videos, graphics, photos and podcasts. To see the variety of topics winners have written about over the years, read this column.
3. You can participate as often as every week, but we allow only one submission per person per week.
4. Responses must be 1,500 characters or fewer. We have a contest rubric as well as a guide for students that details four simple ways to make your response stand out.

5. Any teenager anywhere in the world is invited to join us, if you are in middle or high school, or if you graduated from high school in 2021 and haven't started college yet. See above, How to Submit, for more details.

6. Make sure to provide us with the complete URL or headline. For example, "A Man Found 15,000 Bees in His Car After Grocery Shopping" or https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/us/bees-car-new-mexico.html.

7. Every Tuesday during the contest, starting June 29 and ending Sept. 7, we will publish a previous week's winner or winners in a separate post you can find here. We will also celebrate the winners on Twitter and Facebook.

8. The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest. (Teenagers who live in the same household as a Times employee are also ineligible.)

We have several resources to help students practice for this contest before summer begins, including the video above. They include:

If your only association with The New York Times is front-page news, this post can show you how to find everything from games to recipes to reporting on young people. Credit... Luis Mazón

This contest has been running more or less the same way for years, but please write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com if your question is not addressed below. Q. What kinds of responses are you looking for?
A. The subject matter isn't important; neither is whether you loved or hated it. What we care about is what you have to say about why you picked it.

If you don't believe us, scroll through the work of previous winners. They have written on weighty topics like the coronavirus pandemic, racism, Alzheimer's disease and the dangers of vaping, but they have also written on handbags, hummingbirds, power naps, junk food, Beyoncé, Disney shows, running and bagels.

Whatever the subject, you'll see that the best responses year after year make personal connections to the news and discuss the broader questions and ideas that the topic raises. We have even created a guide that outlines four simple things you can do to make your responses more powerful. We will use this rubric to judge entries.

So whether you were moved by an article, enlightened by an essay, bowled over by a photo, irked by an editorial or inspired by a video, simply find something in The Times that genuinely interests you and tell us why, as honestly and originally as you can.
Q. Who will be judging my work?
A. The Learning Network staff, a team of as-yet-to-be-named New York Times journalists, and some educators from across the country.

Q. What is the "prize"?

A. The prize for winning any of our contests is having your work published on The Learning Network.
Q. When should I check to see if my submission won?
A. Every Tuesday from June 29 to Sept. 7, we will publish the previous week's winner or winners in a separate article that you can find here. We will also celebrate the winners on Twitter and Facebook.
Q. How do I participate in this contest if I don't have a digital subscription to The Times?
A. Until September 2021, high school students across the United States can get free digital access to NYTimes.com. After that, NYTimes.com has a digital subscription system in which readers have free access to five articles each month. If you exceed that limit, you will be asked to become a digital subscriber.

One thing you should know, however, is that all Learning Network posts for students, as well as all Times articles linked from them, are accessible without a digital subscription. So if you use any of the articles we have linked to on our site, they will not count as part of the five-article limit.

And, each time we pose our question - "What interested you most in The Times this week?" - we will link to about 25 recent articles that you can choose from if you don't have your own subscription.

You can also find copies of The New York Times at most public libraries, and some even allow you to access NYTimes.com with your library card.

And remember: You can use anything published anytime in 2021. This post, " 21 Things Teenagers Can Do With a New York Times Subscription," can help you find everything from breaking news to advice for "smarter living" to fun diversions you probably never knew The Times offered.
Q. How do I prove to my teacher that I participated?
A. If you are 16 to 19 years old and are submitting your response by posting a comment, make sure to check the box that asks if you would like to be emailed when your comment is published. If you do so, the system will send you a link to your comment, which you can use to show your teacher, your parents, your friends or anyone else you'd like to impress. (Please note that you will not get an email until the comment has been approved, which may take longer over weekends.)

If you are 11 to 15 years old and are submitting your response via the embedded form, you will automatically get an email thanking you for participating.

Another method? Some teachers ask students to keep a Google doc of all their submissions, while others instruct students to take screenshots of their comments before they hit "submit."
Q. How can teachers, librarians and parents use this challenge?
A. Through the years, adults have told us over and over that participating in this contest has made students both more aware of and more interested in what's going on in the world. Many see it as a low-stakes way to help teenagers start building a news-reading habit. And at a time when a global pandemic is threatening us all, and an " infodemic "- the spread of misinformation, lies and rumors about the coronavirus - is contributing to the danger, keeping up with reliable news is especially important.

If that's not reason enough to assign it to students, our contest is also an easy way to add more nonfiction to your students' reading lists - and to encourage teenagers to make their own choices about what to read, as anything published in The Times in 2021 is fair game.

Participating also meets the recommendations given in this joint statement on independent reading issued by the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Canadian Children's Book Center.

And for some teachers, assigning the contest over the summer helps them to quickly get to know their new students when school starts. In our related webinar, Karen Gold, English department chair at the Governor's Academy in Massachusetts, details how she uses the contest this way.

But maybe the most compelling reason to assign this contest is what students themselves say about it. At the end of the summer of 2020, many teenagers told us that the weekly reading and writing helped them through a difficult time. For instance, a participant named Ava wrote:

This year's summer reading contest has helped me learn not only about the world around me, but about myself. After seeing other students' responses on race, the teenage experience, and the coronavirus, I felt a little less alone about my complicated feelings during this tumultuous year. After all, there has never been a time in my life during which it's been easier to fall into social isolation. However, because the articles I chose to write about were those that I could easily relate to and express my opinion on, I found comfort in my weekly submissions.

In 2017, Emma Weber, a student from London, posted that, thanks to the contest, "I feel grounded in my views and understand what's going on in the world. It's amazing what a change 1,500 characters a week make." Last summer we invited Emma to help judge the entries, and here is what she had to say after Week 10:

I know firsthand that the Summer Reading Contest has the ability to change the way one engages in the news - I went from passively reading to actively thinking and questioning. The more you reflect on what is going on in the world and what interests you about it, the more you will understand your place within it. I urge all those who enjoyed participating this summer to continue reading, reflecting and writing.

Thank you for making this contest a hit year after year, and please spread the word that it's back for its 12th season.

Good luck!

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Our 12th Annual Summer Reading Contest (Published 2021)

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Middle and high school students are invited to tell us what they're reading in The Times and why. The contest runs from June 11-Aug. 19. Update, Aug. 27: This contest is closed. You can see the winners from this summer This announcement is available as a one-page PDF to hang on your class bulletin board.

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Examples: https://readingyear.blogspot.com/2020/05/thoughts-on-teaching-learning-all-ways.html

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4th-6th Graders! Book Recommendations from Teachers

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4th-6th Graders! Book Recommendations from Teachers

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teacher "teacher vlog" educator "children's literature" reading writing teaching

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I am an elementary teacher in Mid-Michigan. I love making videos about my life as a book loving educator.

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Literacy Resources For All Levels of Readers

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Literacy Resources For All Levels of Readers

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Brain Expert Maryanne Wolf guides parents through the development of reading and explains a literacy resource hub for readers at all stages of literacy development.

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Resource Library - Haskins Global Literacy Hub

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Trusted online resources for PARENTS and EDUCATORS