Reading Success During Spring Break!

HOORAY! Spring is on the way. Whether families are headed to the beach, camping, amusement parks or even a staycation, it’s a great time to practice using those reading accommodation tools with real-life reading opportunities. Using reading tools such as text-to-speech during fun, low stress, literacy activities help to build independence and encourage practice with the tool-based skills needed for more academic reading when returning to school.

Take advantage of Spring break! Many of our struggling readers do not take the initiative to read for their own purpose and pleasure. Prepare now to set your students up to engage in authentic real-life reading materials. Help them learn the power of connecting to the world that exists outside the classroom. Here are some ideas to set them up for success!

Read about the destination prior to the visit.

For example, is your student headed to tour a museum or government building in Washington, D.C.?

• Have a book converted about Washington D.C. by AIM-VA. One such book is It Happened in the White House: Extraordinary Tales from America’s Most Famous Home by Kathleen Karr.
• Send in other books specific to your student’s vacations to AIM-VA so they are ready for Spring break!

Offer Spring Break Reading BINGO

Reading BINGO challenges students to read, using their digital device, within a variety of situations. Printables for making BINGO cards can be found at: http://www.happygoluckyblog.com/2014/10/reading-bingo-free-printable.html

Specific links supporting difference reading situations are also provided for you below:

• Reading outside https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/take-reading-outdoors
• Reading to a pet http://www.pawsitivelyteaching.com
• Reading to a family member http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/read-aloud-to-children
• Reading material in a different genre http://visual.ly/why-it-important-children-read-different-genres

In addition, remember that AIM-VA can produce curriculum-based materials for your Spring Break Reading BINGO to meet individual reader’s needs. Send us your spring break activity sheets for students and be ready to upload these materials to their device for they leave for spring break.

Use text-to-speech to read information while on family outings.

Take pictures of maps or informational signs using software such as Claro (https://www.claro-apps.com/claropdf). Claro software can convert words within an image to accessible text PDF files that can be spoken, searched, copied and highlighted. Students can then read the information independently using text-to-speech and tell the family about what they have learned!

Each of these reading ideas gives our reluctant readers a chance to be independent with sharing information and contributing to family fun. Opportunities to increase reading helps build literacy skills and self-esteem. View my webinar by the same name; Reading Success During Spring Break at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZD32MeDGjyIj2Th4Cyhisg. Prepare… so when students come back to school from spring break they will be ready to share.