The experts at Sylvan Learning Centers don’t believe that summer break from school should also be a break from learning.
A recent survey from Sylvan Learning found that on average, kids spend significantly more of their free time playing outside (30 percent), playing video games (17 percent) and watching TV (18 percent) than reading (12 percent).
But research has shown that kids should read at least five books over the summer, yet 46 percent of tweens are reading four or fewer books, according to their parents.
To help parents get kids excited to read this summer, Sylvan Learning has compiled a summer reading list for tweens in grades four through eight, based on the most popular books on Sylvan’s Book Adventure web site, www.bookadventure.com.
Top books include: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the Harry Potter series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Hunger Games series, Charlotte’s Web, Hatchet, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Holes, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The learning specialists at Sylvan Learning in the Wellington area also offer the following advice to help parents get their kids excited about reading this summer.
Let Kids Choose: Instead of requiring kids to read the classics over the summer, let them choose a book they are interested in reading.
Rewards Can Work: So many of today’s popular tween books are also movies, and a trip to the movies can be a great reward for finishing a book.
Find out what their friends are reading: According to parents, the most popular genres among tweens are humor, fantasy, action adventure, science fiction and books made into movies.
For additional information on Sylvan Learning, contact Larry Sugar of Sylvan Learning in Lake Worth at (561) 432-0444 or Penny Loome of Sylvan Learning in Boca Raton at (561) 391-0707.
With more than 30 years of experience and more than 800 locations throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. For more info., call (800) 31-SUCCESS, or visit www.sylvanlearning.com.
