summer reading program

We have been busy working on summer reading programs over the past month. We are filling out logs for Half Price Books , Borders, and the library. The kids have enjoyed their coupons for free food and their free books for completing their logs. It has been a lot of fun. And Half Price gives a $3 gift card for every log turned in. Score!

For Isaac, I am particularly interested in preparing him for kindergarten. So I downloaded a reading chart off of http://www.printablebehaviorcharts.com/ and we put a sticker on for each book he reads to me, typically level one books. After he reads 10 books, he earns a $5 gift coin from target which are sold in packs of 5. He has already read 11 books, so I need to go purchase these giftcoins today to give him his first one. He told me he wants to buy gum. That is easy enough! After he reads his book, he opens this K-2nd grade journal, writes the title down and picks out one page of the book to copy. Then he has to draw a picture of what the story was about. This is helping his handwriting skills and reading comprehension. We have really enjoyed doing this together.The next thing we are working on is a list of counting 1 to 100, to help him count and recognize those numbers and sight words from the Kindergarten Dolch Word List.

And finally, I purchased a Summer Skills workbook from B & N that is for kids going into 1st grade. He finished his kindergarten Brain Quest workbook during his year in Pre-K so we have moved up to a 1st grade workbook. That has been fun for me to see all the things he knows that I didn't even know he knew! That's a tongue twister. :)

So amidst the water parks, icecream, trips, Chuck E Cheese, and playgroups we have done this summer, we are using our stay at home days to read, write, and learn. I have heard that Kindergarten is like the new 1st grade as far as what they want the kids to do and know, so giving Isaac a good kick start should only help continue his joy for school and learning. Come August, I will begin my countdown with Back to School posts...so you can look forward to that!