Early Education Summer Reading List

With the dog days of summer in full swing, many parents find themselves looking for creative ways to entertain their children. An enjoyable method that fosters a continued passion for learning during the summer is curating a reading plan. At our early education acadamies, we often encourage our parents to develop a home reading plan throughout the year. It is especially important to create one during the summer to prevent an academic regression.

Reading can not only provide an opportunity to spend quality time with your child but it can also help expand their imagination, teach new lessons and prepare them for success in school.  According to the the National Commission on Reading, the single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school. It has also been proven that the simple act of reading decreases children's anxiety about school, increases lesson retention and assists in developing in confidence.

Here are a few tips on how to engage your child while reading to broaden their imagination and enhance their experience:

1. Use a calendar to check off your child's reading accomplishments.

2. Create fun awards and celebrate each time you and your child read a new book.

3. Promote interaction by asking questions beyond the story topic.

4. Take imaginary trips; pretend you are going to the moon and back, taking a train through the mountains or even riding in a boat down a river. Create your own props to bring your         imaginary journey to life.

5. Empower your child by allowing him or her to pick their own book.

With your reading plan in place the next step is to gather a of age appropriate books to incorporate into your child's. Here are a few recommendations for children with ages ranging  from infants to second graders courtesy of our Curriculum Department .

Birth – One:
Eric Carle Board Book Set
Twinkle, Twinkle: An Animal Lover’s Mother Goose by Bobbi Fabian
Black on White Board Books and White on Black Board Books
Books with Textures

One – Two:
I Spy Little Books by Jean Marzollo
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Little Blue Truck by Alice Shertle
Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Shertle
Simple Board books with colors, numbers, and shapes

Two’s:
Down by the Barn by Will Hillenbrand
You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang
My Truck is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis
Pete the Cat Series by Eric Litwin

Three’s:
Gilbert Goldfish Wants a Pet by Kelly DiPucchio
I’m My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein
Work an Occupational ABC by Kellen Hatanaka
Pigeon Series of Books by Mo Willems

Four’s:
Telephone by Mac Barnett
Scary Mary by Paula Bowles
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer and Steve Johnson
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
What Pet Should I Get? By Dr. Seuss
Olivia Series by Ian Falconer

Five’s:
The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak
Madeline Series by Ludwig Bemelmans
My First Little House Series by Laura Ingles Wilder and Renee Graef
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson and Tara Calahan King
The Henry Series by D. B. Johnson
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

First Grade:
BOB Books by Bobby Lynn Maslen and John R. Maslen
Junie B. Jones Series by Barbara Park
The Diary of Series by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss
The Lost Lake by Allen Say
Flotsam by David Wiesner
Memoirs of a Hamster by Devin Scillian
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown

Second Grade:
Judy Moody Series by Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds
Picture Day Perfection by Deborah Diesen
The Legend of Diamond Lil; The Trouble with Chickens; and
The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin
Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey by Loree Griffin Burns

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