Tips for Choosing Summer Reading Books

For many families, those three words, Back to School, bring dread and despair. If your kids are past their preschool years, there's a good chance their summer reading book is still in the Borders bag and the packet of work they need to turn in next September is in a corner somewhere collecting dust. No worries.

Experts say that summer is all about family experiences that enrich children's lives and bring a broader understanding of the world around them. Visits to the library, the park, and even a ballgame provide shared experiences that are invaluable. Tomorrow's blog will talk more about that, but today I want to focus on summer reading, and share advice from Farrah Koonce, Principal of the Clara Barton Elementary School in Cherry Hill.

She suggests that there are many ways to keep students from regressing over the summer. “They should engage in some academic stimulation, whether it’s reading, writing, or mathematics,” explains Dr. Koonce. “They need to just be doing something to keep their brains active. Doing something to stimulate their brain is critical.” For example, visit the library and help your child independently choose a book that interests her. Violeta Katsikis, Instructional Support Specialist at Clara Barton Elementary School, provides guidelines to help kids choose appropriate books. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is YES, this book is probably a JUST – RIGHT book for you. JUST – RIGHT books help you learn the MOST because you can figure out most of the words and you can UNDERSTAND what’s going on in the book.

1. Is this an interesting book that you want to read?
2. Do you know the author or anything about the topic?
3. Can you tell another person what is happening in the story or
something you have learned?
4. Do you sometimes need to reread a part to understand it?
5. Are there just a few (2 or 3) words per page that you do not know?
6. When you read are most places smooth and some choppy?

Hopefully, you parents are reading, too. When kids see that their parents have a love for reading, it will make them that much more interested in trying it for themselves. And, they don't need to read novels. Experts agree that reading anything is good, be it comic books, magazines, or even the cereal box. It's amazing how much vocabulary kids can pick up by reading just about anything.

When my kids were younger, I often read their summer reading books. Many of them were wonderful, and it gave us a chance to discuss the book together.

Check out the August issue of SJ Magazine for more tips on things you can do with your kids this summer to make school even more successful next fall. The most important thing is to spend time doing activities together.

Make Family Experiences a Priority Throughout Your Children's Lives: Our San Antonio Maccabi Experience

There is nothing more special than spending quality time with your family, no matter what those experiences are. You don’t have to take an expensive trip – it can be a visit to the zoo, hike, or tea party with your daughter’s stuffed animals that make a memorable family experience. It’s about giving uninterrupted time to each other and putting in the effort to create shared experiences.

We just enjoyed one phenomenal family vacation. Spending five days with my family watching our youngest son playing soccer in the San Antonio Maccabi games was an incredible experience. I’ve had the great fortune of attending three other Maccabi games, in Montreal, Greater Washington, and Baltimore, to root on each of my three children. I wondered if the experience would get old by the fourth go-round, but I am pleased to report that it was as special as ever.

The Maccabi games are about sports, but the athletic competition is merely the venue that draws these teenaged athletes together. For both the participants and the lucky family members who get to root on the sidelines, the games conjure feelings of great pride. We are proud of our Jewish heritage, proud to live in South Jersey, and proud to become part of this community of spirited teens from all over the world. Sure, these kids competed against each other, and the competition was fierce. But at the end of each game, they chatted with their rivals, and during social events throughout the week, they formed solid friendships. All of the athletes in attendance felt a mutual respect.

Seven of the eleven boys on my son’s team had played together in the Maccabi games held in Baltimore two years ago. While they live in five different towns and attend different schools, the wonderful bond they previously formed remained strong. The new members of the team fit right in, and together these Sexy Jews, as they dubbed themselves, had a blast. The strangest thing about this team was that two of the boys are named Brady….not a very popular name for a teenager. The opponents were confused when the spectators gave Brady a shout-out, because one Brady was a forward the other one was in goal.

All but two of the young men on the team were fortunate to have family members in San Antonio to support them. The parents all shared in the excitement and enthusiasm of the games, and we all became temporary best friends. Even my 21 and 19 year olds enjoyed the camaraderie of the group, although they rolled their eyes more than once during our seemingly continual “Jewish Geography” go-rounds. We also brought Grandma along with us to kvell over her grandson.

Despite temperatures reaching 104 degrees (according to the rental car thermometer,) there were plenty of ways to stay cool. The JCC had a great fitness center and incredible swimming pool, which our family gravitated to each afternoon when the games were complete. We discovered that the residents of San Antonio must be among the nicest people on earth. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and welcoming. The only drawback was the never-ending loops of highways that were confusing to navigate at first. When my son broke his cleats and we needed to get him a new pair, it took an hour to find the Sports Authority which we realized was just 10 minutes away.

The Coles, the family who hosted our son, were incredible. They housed three 15 and 16 year old boys, feeding them, doing their laundry and carting them from venue to venue. The boys formed an instant bond with their temporary family and were sad to say goodbye. Phyllis and Steve went over and above, carting them to favorite restaurants, serving up venison that Steve had hunted, (that was surely a new experience!) and fortifying them with plenty of Gatorade and protein bars.

The boys’ teamwork showed as they handily won game after game. Their coaches, Chuck Lampitt and Ed Eichen were incredible cheerleaders, always positive and supportive of all the boys. The JCC staff, including Rob Kiewe and Emily Lieberman were not only efficient, but managed to keep eleven 15 and 16 year olds on the straight and narrow throughout.

The final medal game was a nail biter. The mid-day heat radiated off the turf field, practically wilting the sweat-soaked athletes. In the end, Los Angeles prevailed 2-1 to win the gold and South Jersey took silver.

The boys were proud of themselves for their success, but the silver medal was really just the icing on the cake. It was the relationships they made and experiences they enjoyed that made these Maccabi games a time they will always remember.