Clubhouse Readers: Summertime Book Clubs

One thing I am certain we can all agree on is that reading is an essential part of Early Childhood Education. Actually, it is an essential part of all Education, from Preschool through Graduate School and beyond. Sure technology has changed the way we are able to read, but the bottom line remains the same, reading is fundamental, and can also be a lot of FUN :)

This Summer we have joined up with a variety of reading programs online, as well as locally. Here' s a brief summary of a few, for those of you looking to ensure you keep your children reading throughout the Summer months!

PBS Kids and Memetales have teamed up to provide us with Readathon 2012! Kicking off today, this program has not only brought together some amazing bloggers to participate, but it also provides you with access to free books online and through the Memetales app... AND it's all for an amazing cause. The program runs for 6 weeks, and each week is a different theme.
To read more about the program and how to get started, click here.
*Note: Fit Kids Clubhouse is a "screen free" Preschool, so we will not be reading the books online in class. My son will have access to the online books during his screen time, and together he and I will incorporate the books and themes into our classroom activities weekly.*

Next on our list
is the Mommy and Me Summer Virtual Book Club for Kids. Each month throughout the Summer they will choose a different author to feature. As parents/teachers read books by the featured author, they can link up their ideas/activities around their chosen books. I love this idea because each author has so many different books to choose from, leaving us with a nice variety of activities to browse through for the month. Kicking off today, this month's featured author is Mo Willems, and you can already head on over and check out the linked up reading extension activities, just click here.

While these first two programs focus on specific books and coordinating activities, the No Time For Flash Cards Summer Reading Challenge simply focuses on reading!! As a matter of fact, you can use the books you are reading in any other book clubs and count them towards your books read in this challenge. It's very simple really, just read! Keep track on a provided printable weekly tally sheet, and then log in your number on their site once a week. Not only is this a fun way to track how many books you can read this Summer with your kids, but there's also an end of challenge sweepstakes where one lucky reader will receive a $50 amazon gift card. For details, your printable tally sheet, and access to the online forms, click here.

Along with these 3 programs, we will be joining a reading group at our local library which also tallies how many books you read and rewards readers with a variety of random giveaways at the end of the Summer. Since we love the library and are already reading and tallying, why not?

We will definitely be finding time for books all Summer, and hope you do the same. Check back frequently as we post what books we are reading and how the Clubhouse Kids have brought the books to life through play, sensory activities, arts & crafts and more! Also check out 15 Tips on Encouraging Reading in your Preschooler for some simple ideas on how to make reading fun!!

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.
                                 ~Anna Quindlen

Ms. Liz