• Flipflops
• Bathing Suit
• Towel
• Activity Backpack

Summer is here! Time for summer camps, vacations and lazy days at the beach or pool. Everyone needs a break from the hustle and bustle of the school year, but it's important to remember to spend some time every day reading and keeping literacy skills sharp to help prevent summer slide.  According to Scholastic, children who do not read in the summer can lose two to three months of reading skills, but children who do read can gain a month of reading proficiency (aim for at least 30 minutes a day).  So before you dive into the fun, make sure your summer essentials include an activity backpack that you can take with you in the car to use on trips, by the pool/beach or a rainy day inside. 

Some items to include in your activity backpack are:

• Books (especially any from assigned summer reading from your child’s school)

• Educational Reading and Writing Activity Books:  You can find grade level books that contain review material from the previous year as well as content that will be covered during the upcoming year. 

• Paper, Notebooks or Journals, Pencils, Markers & Crayons: Having a variety of writing materials helps encourage your child to write. They can write or draw about what they have been doing or write a letter to a friend from school.  You can also add a clipboard to make it easier to write on the go.

• Disposable Camera:  Encourage your child to take pictures of their adventures and then help them make a scrapbook at the end of the summer.

• Travel Games like BrainQuest, MadLibs, Crossword Puzzles, BananaGrams, etc.

For children who are ready to learn their letters, you can check out The At Home Academy’s Pre-K On the Go Summer Backpack https://theathomeacademy.com/products/pre-k-on-the-go

Any questions?  Please email us at Janice@Neighborhoodlit.com.  Taylor Burke is a teacher and Director of Communications at Neighborhood Lit. and works closely with Janice Migliazza, a Reading Specialist and owner of Neighborhood Lit, Route 34, Colts Neck to bring you this information.