“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss
Summer Stars is the national reading programme for children taking place in all 330 public libraries throughout the country from the 15th of June until the end of August. Summer Stars is a completely free programme and open to all children.
All children throughout the country are invited to join the Summer Stars programme at their local library. Children can borrow any children’s books they like throughout the summer and get rewards for reading along the way – and it’s all completely free!
Each child simply signs up at their local library, keeps a record of the books they read on their reading card and gets recognition and encouragement for each step along the way. At the end of the programme, all children who participate receive their own certificate of achievement at a special awards event.
TOP TIPS FOR READING WITH CHILDREN
Encourage children to choose stories they are likely to really enjoy.
Try to keep stories appropriate to their reading level. If too hard or too easy, they may lose interest or confidence.
Comic books or graphic novels can be a good way of helping children to follow the story if they have difficulty reading or are reluctant readers.
When they find a word they don’t understand, try to avoid telling them the meaning straightaway. Ask them instead to guess what the unknown word is likely to be based on the pictures near to it or by looking at the full sentence around it.
Give lots of encouragement and praise for even the smallest accomplishment.
Focus on the enjoyment and fun of reading. If you show an interest in reading and learning yourself, your child will be more likely to follow your lead and explore as well.