Here in Massachusetts we had a late start to summer because of all the snow days. Although, now that we have had a couple of weeks off, I’m starting to get a little antsy that Adeline’s preschool progress will be lost. So I have been looking for a fun way to incorporate some literacy into our summer schedule.
Luckily for me, I’m a PBS Kids VIP, and I was sent information on some great free resources to provide families with ways of avoiding the “summer slump”.
PBS Kids will be airing 10 weeks of special on-air programming and online activities to encourage families to continue learning all summer.
The 10 week on-air programming began on June 3 (I wish summer vacation had started then) and will continue through August 5. The weekly themed programming will feature episodes from different PBS Kids series aimed at kids aged 2-8. Make sure to log on to www.PBS.org to find links to coordinating activities for each week. If you missed any of the weeks you can find all of the episodes on iTunes plus a new free episode each week. Here is the schedule for the remainder of the summer:
Wild Kratts – “Bug Week” starting June 3
Super Why! – “Super You Week” starting June 10
Sesame Street – “Literacy Quest Week” starting June 17
Martha Speaks – ” Puppy Week” starting June 24
Curious George – “Creative George Week” starting July 1
Dinosaur Train – “Dinosaurs A-Z” starting July 8
Daniel Tigers Neighborhood – “Let’s Play Outside Week” July 15
The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! – “Let’s Get Wet Week” starting July 22
Arthur – “Sports Week” starting July 29
Word Girl – “What’s up with Word Girl Week” starting August 5
* Check your local PBS listings for times
print out from education.com
You can also find awesome print-outs to go with each week over at education.com. If you are like me and have never visited this site you will be impressed! The resources on education.com are amazing for parents and teachers. I will definitely be utilizing the site both at home and in the classroom come fall. Your child can also take a pledge to read 10 books this summer and enter to win a Kindle prize pack.
Pottery Barn Kids is one of my all time favorite kids stores. My dream home decor can be found on any page of their catalogs. I’m not fussy, any of it will do! To add to their greatness, Pottery Barn Kids has teamed up with PBS Kids to get kids reading. Check out PBK online to download a bookmark and also find their top summer reading choices for readers of all levels. You can download a progress tracker and print out a certificate of completion and take it to your local Pottery Barn Kids for a free book and enter to win a Pottery Barn back pack full of books!
Once again, Scholastic has partnered with PBS Kids to get kids reading. Check in with the “Ambassador of Summer Reading” Word Girl as she challenges your kids to read everyday! The free online reading program allows kids to log their reading minutes to earn rewards. Lets see if they can beat last years record of 95,859,491 minutes.
PBS Kids knows that grandparents play a big role in the lives of kids today, so they have also partnered with Grandparents.com. This site offers resources for grandparents to help kids with their summer literacy with reading charts, ideas on making reading fun and more. If you are a grandparent or have a child that spends a lot of time with their grandparents you need check out this site.
PBS Kids also sent me a box of goodies so I could host my own summer reading party. We had such a blast last year that I can’t wait to do it again! Stay tuned for my Summer Reading Party Post!
~Thats IT Erika
* That’s IT Mommy are PBS KIDS VIPS.
