The lazy days of summer are here at last. Bright sunny days spent in the local pool or bicycling in the neighborhood replace the hectic pace of school days, extra-curricular activities and homework. Children and parents alike celebrate carefree days with not quite so much to do.

Working moms and dads also can enjoy the benefit of the summer solstice with its extended hours of daylight. Warm evenings are spent catching fireflies and eating Popsicles. Summer vacation is a time of relaxing and recharging for moms, dads, and kids.

It also, however, can be a time for academic backsliding and losing some of the knowledge gained during the school year. What can you do to help prevent this loss? How can you keep your child’s academic skills sharp without arguing, nagging and ruining the summer fun?

The following suggestions may help with this dilemma.

1. Take your child on a nature walk and bring paper and pencil with you. You don’t need a forest in the backyard to take advantage of your child’s passion for nature. Journey through your neighborhood and listen for the birds, notice insects and flowers in the grass, and make rubbings from tree leaves. If you are brave, pick up a big rock and maybe find a snake underneath it! Worms are easy to find with a little digging.

Then while your child’s curiosity is piqued, run off to the local public library or book store to further investigate your nature treasures and observations. You must follow the adage that says, “Strike while the iron is hot.” Ask the children’s librarian or store clerk to assist you in finding the books to further your child’s quest for information. It can be difficult to find non-fiction on a primary level.

Gail Gibbons is one author who writes interesting non-fiction about nature. Her books also include clear, captivating illustrations.

2. Let him choose what he wants to read. Research has shown that children who are free to choose what they read are more motivated and will read for meaning at a greater level than children who are not given this opportunity.

I remember my consternation when my son went through his Captain Underpants stage. The spelling in the comic strip dialogue was incorrect. The boys pulled ornery pranks. It was not my ideal reading material for him. But it was what he wanted to read, and read he did! He began the next school year with his reading skills sharp and ready to go. Captain Underpants did come to the rescue!

3. Be a good role model. You are your child’s first teacher. If you value reading, chances are high your child will understand reading’s importance in life. So, let your child see you reading magazines, newspapers, books and articles on the Internet.

4. Expand your definition of reading. Help your child explore the written word in her environment. For the preschool/kindergarten set, point out billboards, traffic signs, food labels and cereal boxes. Writing out the lyrics to a song your child knows by memory can be beneficial. Take the time to point to each word as you say it.

Your child will make the connection between the word he sings and the word he sees.

For the intermediate and middle school ages, graphic novels, or what used to be called comic books, can be appealing. They can be found on a wide variety of subjects.

‹ Terre Brubaker is a certified reading specialist and teaches first grade at Wheeling Country Day School. She is the mother of two and lives in Wheeling with her husband.