Dear Rising Second Grade Parents,

Summer reading is a way to develop in your child a love for reading and to maintain the current level of skills that your child has worked to achieve during the school year.  Please support reading at home and make reading a daily part of your child’s summer.  Happy reading!

God Bless,

Miss Deighan

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How To Help Your Child Select a Book:

YOU are the key in helping your child select summer reading books which will be of high interest and will also be at your child’s independent reading level.  The independent reading level is the level at which your child can comfortably read and understand material without adult supervision.  Please use the following guidelines in helping your child select appropriate reading material.

• Find books about your favorite topic or hobby.
• Look for books by a favorite author or illustrator.
• Browse through the book to see if the illustrations are interesting.
• Read the book summary on the back cover or book jacket.
• Choose a book that is at your independent reading level or a “right fit book.”
• Use the “Five Finger Rule.” Choose a book that you think you would like to read.  Open it to any page and begin reading.  As you come to words you can pronounce or don’t understand, put up a finger.  If you put up five fingers put the book back.  It’s too hard for you and not a “right fit book.”

(Optional) Activities To Do After Reading A Book:

• Write about your favorite (or most exciting, surprising, interesting or confusing) part.
• Make a picture showing one part of the book.
• Draw the main character of the book. Make talking bubbles.  Have the character describe himself/herself.
• Draw a picture of the setting of the book.
• Make puppets from paper bags or popsicle sticks to act out the story.
• Beginning-Middle-End. Fold a paper into thirds.  Tell how the story begins, what happens in the mddle and how it ends.  If you would like, you may draw pictures to tell about the beginning, middle and end.
• Come up with a different ending to the story and write about your new ending.
• Does the story remind you of a Bible story? Tell how they are similar.
• Did the main character demonstrate a good character trait? (For example charity, kindness or truthfulness)  Give an example.
• Did you learn a new vocabulary word? Use it in a sentence.

ENTERING 2^nd Grade Book List

Adler, David                                                 Cam Jansen series

Bemelmans                                                  Madeline books

Brown, Jeff                                                  Flat Stanley series

*Cleary, Beverly                                              Henry Huggins/Ramona/Mouse and the Motorcycle …series

Cole, Joanna                                                     Magic School Bus…series

Dagliesh, Alice                                                The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Haywood, Carolyn                                       Betsy and Billy…series

Hoban, Russell                                                Frances books

Hoff, Syd                                                           any book

Lobel, Arnold                                                   Frog and Toad…series

*MacDonald, Betty                                         Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series

*MacLachlan, Patricia                                   Sarah, Plain and Tall

Minarik, Else Holmelund                            Little Bear books

Numeroff, Laura                                            any book

*Oke, Janette                                                     Animal Friends series

*Osborne, Mary Pope                                    Magic Treehouse series

Parish, Peggy                                                  Amelia Bedelia…series

*Peterson, John                                                The Littles…series

*Roy, Ron                                                           A to Z Mysteries series

Rylant, Cynthia                                              Henry and Mudge/ Mr. Putter and Tabby…series

Slobodkina, Esphyr                                      Caps for Sale

Waber, Bernard                                             Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

*Warner, Gertrude chandler                      Boxcar Children…series

*Wilder, Laura Ingalls                                   Little House on the Prairie

Willems, Mo                                                    Elephant and Piggie/Pigeon… series

*White, E.B.                                                       Stuart Little

Zion, Gene                                                        Harry the Dirty Dog series

*Various authors                                             American Girl books

Various authors                                             I Can Read books-Level 3

* Denotes more challenging books

Summer Math:

It is also important that your child maintain their math computation skills throughout the summer.  Please review math skills for 15-20 minutes at least three days a week.  Here are some websites that offer good opportunities for practice:

• Saxon Math Fact Practice: http://www.haelmeda.com/basic_fact_sheets/index.html
• AAAmath.com Customized by grade level and topic, AAA Math features explanations of various mathematical topics, practice problems and fun challenging games.
• funbrain.com/numbers.html This site offers 17 original games based on soccer, car racing and more.
• mathcats.com Math Cats provides playful explanations of important math concepts through games, crafts and interactive projects.
• coolmath.com This fully interactive site allows the user to sharpen their basic math skills, play games and explore new math concepts
• http://www.technologyrocksseriously.com Great website for math and reading games available online and good app recommendations, also.
• Check out Pinterest for apps or websites, as well.

Most of all…relax, have fun and enjoy your summer vacation!