Activities from www.lakeshorelearning.com.
Reading List and Reward Chart
This handy reading chart will motivate children to read all summer long! Simply print out a copy of our Reading Chart and place it where your child will have access to it. Be sure to write in your child’s reward for completing the chart. Each time she reads for an allotted time, finishes a book or shares a book with you if she isn’t yet reading, have her put a sticker or draw a smiley face on one of the squares on the chart. We’ve even included reading lists with popular children’s titles for each age level, plus some tips for helping your child make connections to each book.
Ready to Read Mystery Play
Put on a play—right from your own home! Our four-character script called The Case of the Missing Video Game features a story about Blair the Brain, who searches for a video game stolen by his nemesis, Olivia Opposite.
Directions
Print four copies of the script, one for each character. Use a highlighter pen to highlight all the lines of one character on each script. This makes it super-easy for children to follow along and read their parts! (Note: If necessary, you or your child can play multiple roles.) Give each child a script with the highlighted role you want them to play. Then let the show begin!
Read the script again, but this time rotate character roles.
Directions
Print four copies of the script, one for each character. Use a highlighter pen to highlight all the lines of one character on each script. This makes it super-easy for children to follow along and read their parts! (Note: If necessary, you or your child can play multiple roles.) Give each child a script with the highlighted role you want them to play. Then let the show begin!
Read the script again, but this time rotate character roles.
My Vocabulary Journal
Here’s a simple routine to reinforce new vocabulary words! Ask your child to tell you a new or interesting word she learned today. Does she know what it means? Have her look it up in the dictionary to see if she’s correct. Next, write the word in a writer’s journal or a notebook. To help your child retain the word, have her use it in a sentence and draw a picture to illustrate the meaning.
Go Fish with Sight Words
Preparation: Make your own deck of sight-word cards by printing two copies of the First Set of Sight-Words, Second Set of Sight-Words or Third Set of Sight-Words (depending on your child’s age and skill level). Mount the two sets of words on cardstock and cut on the dashed lines, making two index cards for each sight-word.
How to Play: This game is ideal for 2–4 players. Each player is dealt seven sight-word cards, and the rest of the cards are neatly stacked facedown in a pile in the center of the table. As in the card game “Go Fish,” players take turns asking each other for specific cards to make a pair. For example, Player One may ask Player Two, “Do you have the word ‘the’?” If Player Two has that card in her hand, she gives the card to Player One, who pairs it with the matching “the” card in his hand to make a pair. If Player Two does not have the card she is asked for, she says, “Go fish” and Player One must draw a card from the pile to add to his hand. The first player to collect the matching cards to all the cards in his or her hand wins the game!
How to Play: This game is ideal for 2–4 players. Each player is dealt seven sight-word cards, and the rest of the cards are neatly stacked facedown in a pile in the center of the table. As in the card game “Go Fish,” players take turns asking each other for specific cards to make a pair. For example, Player One may ask Player Two, “Do you have the word ‘the’?” If Player Two has that card in her hand, she gives the card to Player One, who pairs it with the matching “the” card in his hand to make a pair. If Player Two does not have the card she is asked for, she says, “Go fish” and Player One must draw a card from the pile to add to his hand. The first player to collect the matching cards to all the cards in his or her hand wins the game!
A to Z Photo Dictionary
Build your child’s alphabet knowledge…with a photo dictionary that’s filled with fun from A to Z!
You will need:
Directions
Older children can write the entire word that their picture represents at the bottom of each page.
You will need:
- Camera or old magazines
- Construction Paper - 9" x 12" (yellow & green)
- Markers
- Best-Buy Scissors
- Hole punch
- Yarn or ribbon
- Best-Buy School Glue
Directions
- Have your child help you use the camera to take pictures of objects that begin with each letter in the alphabet. Or your child can search through old magazines and cut out pictures of items that start with each letter.
- If you’re using a camera, print out or develop the photos.
- Invite your child to sort the pictures. Write the letter that each picture represents on the back.
- Help your child cut out pieces of construction paper so that they are all the same size. Punch holes along one side, and then thread yarn or ribbon through the holes. Tie the yarn or ribbon to create a book.
- Have your child write one uppercase and one lowercase letter at the top of each page. Then invite him to glue the correct picture onto each page.
Older children can write the entire word that their picture represents at the bottom of each page.