Summer reading activities for your middle schooler to keep them engaged. Do you need ways to engage your middle schooler into reading this summer? How about 5 summer reading activities for your middle schooler? Here’s how to get past “hoping” your child will read some great books this summer. None of them require magic.
Well, maybe just a little…
Why kids should read over the summer
Before I get into the summer reading activities for your middle schooler, perhaps I should give you some excellent reasons why they should be reading outside of school.
Reading:
- builds empathy for others
- extends vocabulary exponentially – 20 minutes per day equals millions of words per year
- increases brain activity and function
- creates intrinsic motivation to learn
- broadens what is possible in your child’s mind
- makes your child a more creative problem solver
As promised, here are 5 summer reading activities for your middle schooler:
Activity 1. Read the same book as your middle schooler.
Yes, you heard that right. Read the same book. This was one of my favorite reading activities that I did with my son when he was a middle schooler.
Take your son or daughter to the local library and hit up the teen section. I’ve been reading teen books for years to help give my students some wonderful suggestions. Guess what I found out? I actually love their books! They are shorter, take less time to read, and they are often well crafted because the authors must keep a preteen’s or teen’s attention.
Another reason you should read the same book as your child is because you can discuss it with them. It will bring you both closer together. For example, when my middle school son wanted to see the movie series based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, I told him that he had to read the book first. So, we went to the library and picked up two copies.
We spent several nights reading the book to each other. Then, he was off reading it on his own. I had not read the book in years. So, I continued reading as well. Six years later, we still talk about how the book is different from the movie series – what we liked about Bilbo and didn’t like about goblins. This brought us closer together in so many ways, and my son now has read every book by Tolkien.
This year, my son had to read The Catcher in the Rye. He asked to read the book in my office while I worked, so he wouldn’t be distracted by his computer games or fall asleep in his bed. (He’s a teenager after all.) So, he would read and ask me questions about the book or just comment on what was going on with the characters. We would discuss the author’s choices as well as the character’s motivations. When he had to write his paper for the book, he’d already bounced ideas off of me, so it was a breeze for him. (By the way, he earned a 98% on his paper).
Activity 2. Play Vocabulary Games.
As your child is reading a summer book, give him/her index cards. On each index card, they should write a new word they have learned from their summer reading books. Then, on the back of the card, they write a sentence and draw a picture to illustrate the word.
Next, sit down with your child with a timer (iPhone has a great stopwatch setting.) See how many new vocabulary words your child remembers the definitions for and note the time. Challenge your child to remember more words and their definitions within less time. The more you repeat it, the more likely, your child will retain this new vocabulary.
Click for more ideas about Word Games.
Activity 3. Act out a scene in the book.
You could have your child act out a scene in the book. Have him/her find a favorite scene or even one they might not quite understand. Role play the scene. What would happen if the main character did or said something differently? How would that change the story?
Another way a child could act out a scene from a book is to use puppets. The easiest puppets to make are finger puppets. They could draw characters, cut them out and you attach paper rings to each of them. They could even film the puppet show.
Another idea for a reading activity this summer, your child could create a PowToons video of their summer reading book. As they read each chapter, they can add another slide to their PowToons video. This is a great incentive to keep them reading and provide some practice with technology.
Activity 4. Write a new chapter.
Another summer reading activity for your middle schooler is writing more of the story. Perhaps your child wants to find out what happens next to his/her favorite character. Give them some paper or time on the computer to compose the next chapter in that character’s life.
Maybe your child did not like the way the author wrote something in the book. What if he/she could write a different scene where the characters do or say something different? How would that change the story or make it better?
Your child might even be able to email the author and submit their ideas. I’ve actually done this before, and the author wrote back to me! It was a very nice and surprising email!
Activity 5. Make a Reading Journal.
Additionally, your middle schooler could also keep a reading journal as a summer reading activity. In their journal they could draw pictures of the characters and the settings, draw maps of the places their characters visit, and keep notes about important events in the book.
Use a simple composition book or a spiral notebook and allow your middle schooler to fill it up with his/her wonderings about the books he/she is reading.
Click here for more great learning ideas on summer reading activities for middle schoolers.
