Summer Reading for High School Students

Drama, Adventure and Classic Romance - great books to captivate your high school students this summer!

High School

Grade 9:
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, or, on the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King
My Antonia by Willa Cather

Grade 10:
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket

Grade 11:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Grade 12:
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift and Pat Rogers
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Reading List for the Middle School Student

Looking for ways to keep your Middle School student engaged this summer? Here are a few suggested readings to inspire any imagination and exercise those reading skills!

Middle School

Grade 6:
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley and Keith Ward

Grade 7:
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Grade 8:
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

For additional resources go to our Parent Resource Center at:

Summer Reading List - Elementary Students

To help to encourage reading throughout the summer - here's a list to get your young students engaged!

Elementary School

Kindergarten:
Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Krause
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Grade 1:
Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott
Cork and Fuzz by Dori Chaconas

Grade 2:
The Principal’s New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson
Henry and Mudge by Sucie Stevenson and Cynthia Rylant

Grade 3:
10-Step Guide to Living With Your Monster by Laura Numeroff
Aladdin: The Magical Tale of a Boy and his Wonderful Lamp by Rosalind Kerven

Grade 4:
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
If You Lived 100 Years Ago by Ann McGovern

Grade 5:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

No More Teachers, No More Books – The last month of the school year is a time to prepare for Transition

Only about a month to go until school is out. For students, teachers and parents alike, the last weeks of school can be both exciting and challenging. Students are looking forward to the summer break and, as a result, their interest in schoolwork may wane. Teachers are completing the strenuous state assessment tests and now have a classroom of students more interested in summer than science. For parents, the end of one school year signals the impending start of another one. So, how do you ensure your child is ready to tackle the next grade?

The end of the school year is really a time to prepare for transition - the transition from one grade to another - but also the transition from in-classroom learning to the continuous learning that takes place outside of school.

At this time of year, Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, advises parents to focus on three areas - helping their children make the most of the final weeks of school, knowing what the next grade level will bring and looking for ways to inspire learning during the summer break.

What Parents can do to make the most of the last weeks of school and prevent the Summer Loss

Take advantage of the final days of the current School Year
• You can help your children review by asking them to show you what they’ve learned or by working through homework problems together.
• Schedule a last meeting or discussion with your child’s teacher. Identify successes and challenges.
• Help your child stay motivated about school so he gains the full benefit of his final days in the classroom by putting a reward system in place.
• Have a conversation every day about school.

Know what the next grade level will bring.
• Speak to your child’s current teacher or a teacher in the next grade about the upcoming curriculum.
• Ask about new subjects and changes in focus. For example, in 4th grade, students usually begin to “read to learn” rather than “learn to read.” If your 3rd grade student is struggling with her reading, this summer would be a good time to focus on improving reading skills.
• If the next year will mean a change in schools - such as entering high school - take advantage of orientation sessions where you and your child can learn more about the new school.

Design summer vacation activities that are both fun and educational
• Continue reading throughout the summer. www.bookadventure.com. Book Adventure is a free, Sylvan-created, interactive, reading motivation program. Students choose their own books from more than 7,000 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem their accumulated points for small prizes. Book Adventure also offers teacher and parent resources and tips to help children develop a lifelong love of reading.
• Plan family activities that are fun, interactive and educational. To help families get started, Sylvan Learning offers a free activity booklet entitled, Family Learning Fun. The booklet provides seven different ideas and activities that will help sustain and renew your children’s interest in learning and discovery. It is available in the “Resources for Parents” section on the Sylvan Learning Web site.
• Develop writing skills by writing or emailing pen pals.
• Register students for summer camps. To make the most of summer, look for camps that provide an academic focus. Programs should offer a broad selection of courses built to suit individual needs while targeting specific subjects and offering a small group environment. When selecting an academic camp, look for programs with:
o Proficiency in the subject of your choosing
o Tutors with experience teaching children the same age as your child
o Flexibility in scheduling

A "Shiny Star"

I just wanted to give a testimonial for Sylvan Learning Center in Solon. My daughter is in the first grade at Hope Academy Chapelside. She struggled so much during the first quarter in reading that it was times when we both would sit at the kitchen table during homework and cry from frustration. Her teacher and I tried to help her as much as we could yet she still struggled. By the end of the 1st quarter she had a very low C boarding on a D. As a mother I could not stand by and watch her fail. That's when my family and I decided to send her to Sylvan at the beginning of the second quarter in school. Within 8 weeks she brought her grade in reading up to a B and she is working on trying to get an A. Not only did she bring her grade up but she has so much more confidence when she reads. She recently received a "Shiny Star " award for reading from her school. So her mind is at ease and mine is also. I know if it was not for Sylvan she and I would still be faced with frustration and sadness. It does my heart good to see her happy when she pulls out a book now. The center that she goes to is so warm, friendly and helpful! Sylvan is most definitely worth the investment in any child's future. Thank You So Much Sylvan!!

Sincerely,

N.H.