Executive Functions Explained
Improving literacy through engaging interaction is a wonderful way to immerse your child into the world of learning. We have compiled nine fun and easy ways to help your learner start on the right track to literacy.
- Create a Book Wall
Have your child draw a new cover of a book she just read, based off what it meant to her. Hang up her new cover on the wall to congratulate her for finishing a book, and keep adding to it all summer. This encourages your learner to fill a space with drawings of her interpretations, and it creates a positive connection with reading.
- Cultural Day
Dedicate a day to dress up, cook, and immerse yourselves into the world of other cultures. Pick some different places around the world, like India, Spain, Japan, or Germany. Have your reader find a book on each place you choose at the library, and then spend the day living each culture.
- Get a Pen Pal
In this world of quick access to friends on social media, it is easy to find a special friend for your child to have as a Pen Pal. Reach out to friends on facebook or talk to the school and see if they have current Pen Pal programs. Having your child create a friendship with a Pen Pal is a wonderful way to teach him how to write letters, send mail, and interact with other cultures.
- Summer Reading Contest
What is more fun than a friendly competition? Make a chart for your child. Every few books he reads, he gets a sticker on their chart. After a certain number of stickers, he gets a prize. The more books he reads, the better the prizes get. Just don’t make the contest too easy!
- Best Parts and Biggest Bummers
When you sit down to have dinner, take turns sharing the “best part” and “biggest bummer” of the day. Not only does it promote literacy, but it is often entertaining and lets the whole family connect with each other.
- Integrate Text into Play
Make faux menus to play restaurant in the house. Have your child help you determine the things she wants on her menu, and what price the food should be. Let her name her restaurant and print a menu. You can take it a step further and even have her make an ingredients list, so she can tell her customers what is in their food.
- Library Appreciation Day
Dedicate a day or two throughout the month to visit the library with your child. Let him have his own personal library card, and let him pick the books he finds the most interesting that day. Have your child talk to librarian about the books he wants, and where to find them. This promotes literacy in navigation and in communication.
- Plan a Family Vacation
Letting your child plan some of the activities you all do during your trip is an excellent way to build literacy. Say you plan to go to New York and you need help deciding what to do in the week that you have there. Have your child do some research on some fun places to visit, and help him find some books, articles, or reviews about New York.
- Make a Book
Have your child illustrate and create a story of her own. Write her story on multiple pages as she tells it to you, making the pages so there is room to illustrate later! Making a book creates a connection between spoken words and written words, and gives the opportunity to illustrate her interpretation of their story.
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