Summer reading lists and summer book clubs abound! In fact we have a summer reading list for every age! But did you know you can enhance your child’s literacy skills by more than just checking off books on a list?
Enhance summer learning by mixing things up and engage in these five super-duper fun summer literacy activities!
(Note: this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission)
SUMMER WORD JAR
Fill up a jar with vocabulary! Draw out one word everyday to learn and use in conversation. Find tips and tricks plus links to age appropriate vocabulary lists and all the details of how to make a summer work jar right here.
Choose a word game for your kids to play. We love single player games because they give parents a break while kids engage in learning play, but parents can also work on the puzzle with their kids, which is how we’ve been enjoying this Brain Fitness Word Search Puzzle from ThinkFun. (I recommend it for ages 10 and up.)
For younger kids, I recommend any of the choices in the Zingo family of games.
Or, check out even more word games, including DIY choices in our list of 15 word games.
LEARN A SONG IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
It’s actually not that difficult to learn a song in a foreign language. After all, most of us non-French speakers at some point learned how to sing “Frère Jacques!”
Learning a foreign language enhances kids’ understanding of how language structure, grammar and vocabulary work. Plus, it’s fun and help your kids gain self-confidence. You can find tons of choices on YouTube. Here’s one for younger kids.
Alternatively, children can learn a poem in a foreign language. I love From the Bellybutton of the Moon: And Other Summer Poems / Del Ombligo de la Luna: Y Otros Poemas de Veranowhich by Francisco X. Alarcon. It includes short poems in both Spanish and English. This brings us to the fourth summer literacy activity….
MEMORIZE A POEM
Nothing lifts the spirits more than learning a poem by heart. Poems we memorize as children stay with us forever. Memorizing poems enhances our understanding of how language can be used in interesting and meaningful ways. It also builds self-confidence!
WATCH A PLAY
Going to the theater is a superb literacy-enhancing experience! Search around your local area for theaters specializing in performances for children. If you can’t get out in person to the theater, check online. Many companies put their productions on YouTube.
During the summer of 2020, many professional theaters are uploading performances to YouTube. It’s a treasure trove. We’ve been watching shows from The National Theater, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Stratford Festival.