• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

  • Home
  • New?
  • Quirky & Real
    • Encouragement
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Challenges
    • How-to’s
    • Humor
    • Planning & Organization
    • Bible Study
  • Hands-On Learning
    • Activities & Resources
    • Field Trips
    • Nature Study
    • Recipes
  • Ages & Stages
    • Preschool
    • Elementary
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • By Subject
    • History and Geography
    • Language Arts
    • Math
    • Science
  • Reviews
    • 2018-19 11th Grade Curriculum
    • Reviews by Subject
    • Curriculum & Reviews
    • Top Picks
  • Freebies
  • Top Posts
  • Our Team
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
You are here: Home / Homeschool Challenges / 5 Fun Ways To Help Your Struggling Reader This Summer

5 Fun Ways To Help Your Struggling Reader This Summer

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

59shares
  • Facebook 49
  • Twitter
  • Email
Written by Shawna Wingert of Not the Former Things.

* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *

When my son was in school, the summer slide was a hot topic this time of year. Teachers sent home information packets. Moms talked about it in the pick-up area. Even my son asked me what we should do about it.

The dreaded “summer slide” was legendary.

Now that we homeschool, our school year is not a traditional one.

We learn all year long and take breaks when we need them (or life requires it). There is no summer slide to accommodate.

The change in weather does, however, bring opportunities to learn in different and fun ways. This fact has been and continues to be particularly true for my struggling reader.

Because he spends so much time in the necessary, consistent practice required to develop phonemic awareness and reading fluency, changing it up a bit makes summer learning so much more fun.

5 Fun Ways To Help Your Struggling Reader This Summer

With that in mind, here are my favorite ways to celebrate summer and help my struggling reader.

Water Balloon Flashcards

Water balloon flashcards made up our favorite reading activity last summer. When practicing sight words or spelling lists, we made water balloons – one for each word. Then, as my son read them, he threw them at a target. Or me. Or his brother.

We also reversed it. My son spelled a word aloud and then ran away, trying to dodge the water balloon thrown at him. (He prefers to be the target.)

Add Movement

Summer is the perfect time to incorporate movement into learning. We use our trampoline for read- alouds and math practice. He bounces while I read, or jumps as he recites times tables. Sometimes, we add water balloons to the mix. He bounces them up and down, and I sit happily in a lawn chair, with a sweet tea, reading to him.

The more he moves, the more I relax. It’s a summer win for both of us!

Get Messy

The best part about summer is my easy and frequent use of the hose.

Summer is the time of year when my son is free to make as many messes as possible. It is also when I try to incorporate these messes into our learning.

Writing in finger paint on the ground and windows, making our own clay tablets and craving sight words into them, and using water guns to “shoot” the sidewalk chalk sentences – it can all be cleaned up in a matter of minutes with the hose.

Combine Audiobooks and Fire Pits

We started this tradition last summer. A few nights a week, we light a fire in our fire pit, make smores and turn on an audiobook We relax, listen to the story, eat too much sugar and gaze at the stars.

Audiobooks are a wonderful option for my struggling reader, plus this has become one of my favorite summer memories.

Relax and Enjoy Your Kid!

More than anything else, one of the best things I think we can do for our struggling readers is relax and allow them to enjoy the summer. Sometimes, this means incorporating learning. Sometimes, I think it means letting them play without any expectation of reading.

They have the rest of their childhood to progress in reading. Summer should be fun, first!

Do you change up reading practice for your child in the summer months? Share your fun ideas!

You Might Also Like


4 Sure-Fire Strategies to Help Struggling Readers

The Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

Because Sometimes Learning {gasp} Stops
Sign Up
Author profile
Shawna Wingert
Different by Design Learning | Website

Shawna Wingert is a special education teacher turned writer, speaker and consultant. She is also a homeschooling mom of two brilliant boys with differences and special needs. Shawna has written four books for parents of special needs – Everyday Autism, Special Education at Home, Parenting Chaos and her latest, Homeschooling Your Child With Special Needs. She has also been featured in special needs discussions on Today.com, The Mighty, The Huffington Post and Autism Speaks. You can find her online at DifferentByDesignLearning.com. You can follow Shawna and Different By Design Learning on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.

Related entries
  • Shawna Wingert
    https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/author/shawna-ntft/
    July 30, 2020
    14 Things I Never Imagined I'd Say As A Homeschool Mom
  • Shawna Wingert
    https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/author/shawna-ntft/
    February 8, 2018
    14 Ways to Reset a Tough Homeschool Day
  • Shawna Wingert
    https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/author/shawna-ntft/
    October 23, 2019
    4 Essential Tips for Homeschooling a Child With ADHD
  • Shawna Wingert
    https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/author/shawna-ntft/
    4 of the Best Reasons to Homeschool Dyslexic Students
    November 15, 2018
    4 of the Best Reasons to Homeschool Dyslexic Students

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

59shares
  • Facebook 49
  • Twitter
  • Email

By Shawna Wingert Leave a Comment

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search This Site

  • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Free Dyslexia Screener
Spelling Rules Posters
World Maps
Litter-Robot

Copyright © 2021 Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers | All Rights Reserved.
Use of original text or photos without permission is a violation of copyright.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy