Please welcome my guest author today, Donna Lasinski of ThinkStretch Summer Learning Program.
What is Reading?
Summer reading is a time-honored tradition for adults and children alike. But what really counts as summer reading? With my three boys, we can often haggle over what “counts” for their daily reading time. So, with the benefit of insights from other parents, teachers, and researchers, here is what my family has decided “counts”:
- Chapter books of any type – Seems obvious, but when it is the 6th book about a soccer star, sometimes I must grind my teeth and grin.
- Graphic novels – Yes, the word count is much lower, but my teacher friends tell me that comprehension is actually more difficult because it involves so much visual interpretation.
- Guinness Book of World Records – Okay, this one may be unique to our household, but reading about the most tattooed man counts.
- Audiobooks – This one was tricky. However, reading experts opened my eyes to the value of modeling fluent reading, teaching critical listening, and introducing vocabulary that is unique to audiobooks.
- Digital e-books – Here I am talking about “enhanced” books, with sounds and gizmos and gadgets. Still counts as reading.
- Web surfing – This one is very fuzzy. Our rule is it only counts if you can come and share with me the specific idea or article you read.
- Magazines – While I like National Geographic for Kids best, any magazine counts.
And so, as we enter another summer filled with adventure and quiet times, my sons and I have an agreement to continue to haggle over their daily reading time.
Donna Lasinski is a mother of 3 boys and an avid reader with a passion for kids and education. Watching kids slip behind year after year after long summer breaks, Donna created who created the ThinkStretch Summer Learning Program to return kids to school confident and ready to learn in the fall. Partnering with parents, teachers, researchers, and kids, Donna wrote the Parent Guide to Summer and grade-specific activity books for Pre-K through 7th heading into 8th grade.
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p.s. Related posts:
My Favorite Graphic Novels from 2020
Great New Graphic Novels for Kids (2019)
Graphic Novels for Ages 7 and Up
Top 10: Best Audio Books for Kids (Some are FREE!)
Follow PragmaticMom’s board ‘Best of’ PragmaticMom on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
I love that you touched on web surfing in here- I think it would be nearly impossible for my daughter to go look up an article and read it on the web at her age… but she loves her graphic novels!
Hi Jeanette,
My kids are using web surfing more for videos than articles in general but the act of searching does still include reading. What graphic novels does Fen like right now?
I like too that you are counting web research. I do a lot of reading online! Although it always feels good to shut down the screens and read actual books!
Hi Ann,
I’m with you on both counts!