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For a digital brochure, best
practices, and reproducibles,
look in the Toolkit. Fair Files
keyword:
FAMILY EVENT
Fair Planner
shows you how to
plan, notes when to send out
invitations, and reminds you to
invite special vistors to your event.
REAL
WORLD
Stories & Ideas
FAMILY EVENTS
Family Events
19
EXCITEMENT
Make reading a family affair by hosting Family Events!
Benefits
Encourages family involvement in kids’ reading activities • Helps build home libraries
• Offers parents topics and books that interest their children
Ideas and Best Practices:
•
Involve your community by asking local businesses for food donations or discounts.
•
Schedule Student Crew member booktalks during the event.
•
Include a prize raffle for kids who bring a parent with them.
•
Promote your event with emails, flyers, and sandwich boards in front of the school.
•
Invite community librarians to your Family Event to pass out library cards for summer reading.
•
Reach out to nearby preschools and incoming students for an event just for them.
•
For younger siblings, set up craft tables to make groovy art and flower headbands, and have face
painting, too!
Schedule different events to occur before, during, and after school so everyone has the chance to
attend. Examples:
•
Before School
– Muffins for the Mamas; Pancakes for the Papas; Peace Out Pastries for Parents
•
During School
– Lunch With a Loved One; Books and Lunch Together (BLT)
•
After School
– Read-In at the Book Fair; Pajama Night
•
Celebration of Reading Literacy Event
– Students and family members visit different classes for read-
alouds, have their picture taken at a photo op, receive helpful handouts that include tips and tools to
promote reading at home, and shop at the Book Fair.
Summer Reading Parent Workshop
This no-cost workshop helps prevent the
summer reading slide attributed to the
lack of reading over the summer. Use it
to enhance parents’ understanding of
the importance of summer reading and
things they can do to support, monitor, and
motivate their children to continue to read
throughout the summer. This program aligns
with the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS) and Title I parent involvement
requirements. A Facilitator’s Guide helps
you plan each step of the program.
Download the complete program from the
Toolkit. Fair Files keyword:
SUMMER
A Fishy Family Fin-Tastic Event
Coconut Palm Elementary School
Miramar, FL
The Under the Sea Family Night was
like none other at Coconut Palm
Elementary School. Families and staff
came together to celebrate reading
with games, karaoke, performances,
raffles, photo ops, dancing, and a
costume contest!
Turning Challenges Into Book
Fair Success
Pearre Creek Elementary School
Franklin, TN
A week-long snowstorm didn’t get in
the way of this Book Fair! Pearre Creek
rescheduled their Family Event,
combining it with their annual Jump
Rope for Heart Event. This brought
more families into the Fair than ever
before. Families enjoyed delicious food
from local food trucks, face painting
and balloon art by artists, and of
course, shopping at the Book Fair.
Overall, the school increased their
sales by nearly 20% and committed
to holding their Family Event on
Saturdays from now on!
An Ocean of Fun and Learning
Hartsburg Emden, Community Unit
School District
Emden, IL
Teachers at Hartsburg Emden,
Community Unit School District
created reading-based stations to
visit throughout the Family Event,
including water science, alliteration
about ocean animals, math, and ocean
art. Everyone wore octopus T-shirts
that said, “Get your tentacles around
a good book. Family Reading Night
2015.”
© 2014Scholastic Inc.11276
Permission to reproduce this item is
grantedbyScholasticBookFairs
®
.
Before summer break, parents often ask,
“How do I getmy childmotivated
to read over the summer, especiallywhen he spendsmore andmore time
online andwithmobile devices in hand?”
The Scholastic SummerReadingChallange relateswith students in this new electronic age.
They are invited to join their school team in a global effort to set aworld record formost
minutes read during the summer. Students sign up, choose books to read, then log their
readingminutes online. They can continue to track their school’s progress throughout the
summer by checking in online.
How do parents turn their struggling, novice children readers into adultswho enjoy reading for
pleasure? There are several rules of thumb that the experts agree are building blocks to raising
enthusiastic readers.
•
It all startswith reading aloud.
And reading aloud should start from birth. Themorewords
your child hears from the beginning of her life, the bigger her vocabularywill be—which
will pave thewaywhen she learns to read herself.
•
Have plenty of books in the house.
Keep books in the bathroom, on the bedside table, in
a backpack.Get your child a library card as soon as she is old enough, then takeweekly or
biweekly trips to the library.
•
Model reading for your children by being a reader yourself.
Make a point of reading a book
or the newspaperwhile your children are in the room.As your child gets older, look for areas
of common interest and read together. If your preteen son is an athlete, read the sports
section together or get him a subscription to a sportsmagazine.
•
Let your children be in charge ofwhat they read.
Allow your children to select their own
books, even if they’re too easy. Parentswho try to exert toomuch control over the content of
their childrens’ reading risk fueling the perception that reading is a chore.
Another effective tactic for childrenwho are strugglingwith reading (or just beginning to get
the hang of it) is to give small rewards. For frustrated or new readers, the intrinsic pleasure in
reading just isn’t there yet, so it’sOK to offer rewards, such asmovie tickets, family outings, or
privileges, in exchange for concentrated reading time.
how can i motivate my child to continue to
Read Over the Summer?
Permission to reproduce this item is
grantedbyScholasticBookFairs
®
.
© 2014Scholastic Inc. 11276
Summer Reading
Success Workshop
You’re Invited!
School is almost out, but that doesn’tmean students should take a break from
reading! Find out how you and your child can continue reading all summer!
We’ll share tips on how tomotivate independent reading in away thatmakes
reading fun, and help your childmeet important summer reading goals.
Date:
Time:
Place:
Parent’sName:
Child’sName:
Child’s Teacher:
Yes,Iwillattend theSummerReadingSuccessWorkshop!
Cut and return bottom portion to your child's school.
[ InsertDateHere ]
[ InsertTimeHere ]
[ InsertPlaceHere ]
©2014Scholastic Inc.11276
Permission to reproduce this item is
granted byScholasticBookFairs
®
.
how can i help my child ACHIEVE
Reading Goals This Summer?
Did you know that children lose reading achievementwhen they don’t
read over the summer? In fact, lackofsummer reading accounts for
85 percent of the reading achievement gap among children.We can put
books in fr nt of our children, but how dowemotivate them to read?
The answer:
The Scholastic SummerRadingChallenge. Students
compete to represent their schools or districts but also tomeet or
beat their own personal reading goals. Your childrenwill lg their
readingminutes, participate in aweekly reading challenge, arn
digital rewards, find great books to read, andmore!Most of all, they
will enjoy reading – and comparing their readingminuteswith those
of their peers at their school and around theworld!
Here are a fewways you can help yourchild et nd achieve reading goals this summer:
o
Attend aBook Fairwith your child and help him/her find books he/shewillwant
to read.
o
Start a family book club and enjoy the same book together.
o
Encourage reading at least20minutes every daywith library visits, storytime at
home, and conversations about books.
o
Let your child see you reading.Childrenwho observe their parents reading become
better readers themselves.
o
Help your child log readingminutes on the Scholastic SummerReadingChallengewebsite.
o
Stock up on books they choose for themselves from a library, the schoolBook Fair,
or a local bookstorewhen preparing for trips. (It’s okay to let your child occasionally
choose books that are below his/her reading level. It’s variety that counts.)
o
Keep books and appropriate periodicals everywhere – bedrooms, bathrooms, living
rooms, and in backpacks.
o
Read aloud to all your children – your established readers aswell as your babies
and toddlers.
scholastic.com/summer©2014Scholastic Inc.11276
Permission to reproduce this item is
grantedbyScholasticBookFairs
®
.
Facilitator’s Guide
Workshop presentation
Use this companion toolwith thePowerPoint presentation.
These talking points are suggestions. Feel free to use your ownwords.
Tips toCreate aPositive andWelcoming
LearningEnvironment for Families
• Welcome participants one-by-one as theywalk in and
take their seats.
• Be cheerful. Ask them individually about their children.
• Say something that shows participants you value their
attendance.
• Make sure participants feel respected and comfortable.
• Listen attentivelywhen participants express themselves.
• Encourage families to share their ideas, experiences, and
questionswith you.
• If you are under time constraints, let participants know
that you value their contributions and youwill be happy
to tay and continue the discussion at the end of the
meeting or follow upwith them.
• Use positive body language andwords.
• Make complimentswhen participants share stories. For
example, “Thank you for that example,” or “Thank you
for sharing,” or “Thatwas awonderful example.”
• Thank them at the beginning and end of your
presentation for coming. Let them know you commend
them for their commitment to helping their children
continue to read over the summer.
FacilitatorGreeting: (2minutes)
(Turn on livelymusic of your choice a fewminutes before
the session is to begin.When the song ends, turn off the
music andwelcome participants. Introduce yourself as the
host for this event.)
Materials needed:
• PowerPoint presentation
• Invitation
• One copy per student of
HowDoesMyChild LogReading
Minutes?
handout
• One copyper student of the
MySummerReadingGoal
handout
Preparation:
• Review notes from
Facilitator’sGuide
and rehearse for
presentations.
• Make copies of handouts.
• Determinewhere
MySummerReadingGoal
cardswill be
placed that evening andwhere theywill be displayed in
the school.
OptionalHandouts:
• Five-Finger Test bookmark
•
HowCan IMotivateMyChild toContinue toReadOver
the Summer?
handout
•
HowCan IHelpMyChildAchieveReadingGoals This
Summer?
handout
•
HowDoesMyChild LogReadingMinutes?
handout