Using Technology to Promote Summer Reading

As teachers we want to ensure that our students continue learning through the summer. Did you know students lose at least two to three months in reading and most students lose two months of math skills in the summer? It's important for us to make sure that all of our children are stimulated. For those who have access to technology, I have a some ideas in using technology to promote summer reading.

Many teachers and parents are using technology to promote summer learning, and now you can too! There are great websites, apps, programs, & more for elementary students here. As a teacher, you can promote these to students AND their families. Great for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade. Ideas for a book club, online reading, book reviews, book creation, apps, and website. Perfect for the parent seeking technology integration into the summer routine. (second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth graders}

I'm joining friends with The Reading Crew for an end of the year linkup. We're sharing mentor text for the end of the year, reading skills, ideas for book clubs, apps, and more. We also have a treat for you. Make sure to enter our Summer Reading for Teachers Giveaway. You can win all 9 books for your summer reading pleasure. I also have an end of the year FREEBIE for you.

1. Start an Online Book Club

Assign a fun book for your students to read over the summer break. Through Google Docs, students can answer questions that your post, and share their reactions to the book. They'll love connecting with their friends and with you. I love referring to GoodReads for ideas. Do your students read ebooks? There are so many ebooks available for students who are unable to go the library.

2. Read Current Events and News Magazines Online

One of my favorite current event apps is Newsela.
Another source that you may not be familiar with is DogonNews. This website even have a summer reading program.
For sports fans, Sports Illustrated Kids is filled with up to date news about favorite sports events.
I always recommend National Geographic Kids. There are so many activities that go along with the articles.
Are you familiar with Bookopolis? It's an online book club catered just for kids. There are recommended summer books to read and kids can add to their very own book shelf.
Another great app for keeping up with current events is News-O-Matic: Reading for Kids. It's presented in a newspaper format.

3. Write Book Reviews

Writing a book review gives your students an opportunity to express their feelings about a book, their favorite character, and if they would recommend the book to a friend. This also reinforces writing skills. At the end of the summer, you may want to give awards for the number of books read.

You can easily set up a page on Google Sites for your book reviews. Or, try providing a review for summer books with Google Forms. Students will share facts about the book with comments. For older students, encourage them to video their reviews. This helps students with communication skills.

4. Apps and Websites for Book Creation

Students can develop their reading and writing skills with fun book creation apps and websites.

With Scribble Press, students can write their own books. Students will love the clipart that's included in the app.
Other favorite apps are Book Creator and Story Creator.
The beautiful illustrations in Storybird are donated by different artists.
Storyjumper is filled with different images, props, and backgrounds.
Madlibs are always a favorite. Students type in the words and then read their fun story.
Common Sense Media has a list of apps for kids who think reading is boring.
If you're traveling this summer, keep a journal of the trip. Click HERE to learn more.

5. Collaborative Apps and websites

Keep your students connected with Padlet or note.ly. Padlet is so easy to use. If you want to keep your Padlet private, just add a password for student access. Another option is note.ly. It's very basic and has a sticky note format.

Use Padlet for collaborating about summer reading. Students can add text, images, video, audio, and attachments.

6. Audiobooks

Your public library should have a vast collection of free audiobooks for children. If you're going on a road trip, try playing an audiobook for the family. This is a great time to discuss the story, new vocabulary, and other skills students may learn from a book. Audiobooks can be entertaining for the whole family.

Click HERE for a list of recommended audiobooks for 2019.
If you haven't tried Audible, the subscription includes 2 books per month. You can get a 30 day free trial which includes 2 free books.
Hoopla is a digital media service that is offered by libraries for audiobooks, movies, ebooks, etc.. All you need is your library card. It can be streamed or downloaded to your computer, phone or tablet.
The Novel Effect is an award-winning free story time app. As you read aloud, the app keeps up with your voice and personal reading style at your own pace. Learn more from my friend The Techie Teacher.

End the year with my FREE sample Digital Memory Book. To purchase the full version, click HERE.

These are fun ways to get students excited about using technology to promote summer reading. If you have additional ideas to add, please write them in the comments below.