Summer Reading

Do you think that your child’s success as a reader begins much earlier than their first day of school? Yes, it does! The good news is that now that we are on summer vacation, we have more time to introduce or reinforce a reading habit. So, wherever you are, beach, country side, bus or train, carry either a physical book or your kindle with you. Let yourself and your children dive into the adventure, the comedy and thrill of picture books, chapter books, fiction or nonfiction.

Benefits of reading

A recent study from the Ohio State University found that young children who are read up to five times a day will hear nearly 1.5 million words by the time they turn five. Children who read twice a week only hear about 63,570 words by the age of 5. Of course, we are aware that reading five times a day seems like a lot, but a simple story-session before bed-time will benefit your child’s vocabulary immensely.

Reading during early childhood brings your child many benefits, such as:

develops phonemic awareness (sounds, words and language) which are important steps for literacy skills;
sparks children’s imagination and stimulate curiosity;
enhances social and communication skills;
helps differentiate between ‘real’ and ‘make-believe’ worlds;
brings awareness and understanding about new or frightening events and strong emotions that can go along with them;
promotes bonding and helps you build on your relationship with your child.

The team at the Butterflies Learning Centre is very keen on reading because we know that, as adults, we set the example to our students. And so do you as a parent! So, the more you model reading and the more your child sees you with a book, the more your child will imitate your behavior. It goes with the saying “Monkey sees, monkeys does” and this is a subtle way to raise a reader.

BLC’s Summer 2020 Reading List

There are plenty of books out there that keep you on the go until you reach the very last page. To help you choose, we have put together our top reading list for summer 2020.

The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Through an inviting point-of-view and colourful, vivid illustrations, this story shows how two boys living oceans apart can be the best of friends.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. A Kids Book About Racism.

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Aree Chung
In the beginning, there were three colours . . .Reds,Yellows and Blues. All special in their own ways, all living in harmony―until one day, a Red says “Reds are the best!” and starts a colour kerfuffle. When the colours decide to separate, is there anything that can change their minds?
A Yellow, a Blue, and a never-before-seen colour might just save the day in this inspiring book about colour, tolerance and embracing differences.

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev
This is a book about inclusion. Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

Reading during summer is a smart way to keep learning alive in fun and creative ways.
The BLC is open this summer for storytelling and creative activities related to different books. Contact us for more information.

We wish you all a very happy and relaxed summer break.

Summer Reading

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