3 Crafts to Promote Literacy Skills This Summer

3 Crafts to Promote Literacy Skills This Summer Since summer is typically dedicated to rest and relaxation, improving your students literacy skills may not be on the forefront of your mind. The summer months, however, provide a unique opportunity to incorporate literacy skills into activities. Using crafts to promote literacy this summer can encourage your student to keep their mind active and sharp, while participating in fun and engaging activities. Crafts that encourage literacy skills include creating comic strips, incorporating theater activities, and designing menus. Looking to both engage your student and maintain the fun of the summer months? Keep reading to learn three crafts to promote literacy skills this summer: Summer literacy craft #1: comic strips A comic strip craft can be a great way to encourage literacy practice this summer. Read a favorite book together, and then have your child recreate the story in the form of a comic strip. This employs their visual skills and improves their comprehension skills as they translate what theyve read into their own version. You can also have your student create comics that extend the storyline of one of their favorite books or characters. Additionally, they can create their own stories altogether. Regardless, visit the local library or bookstore and have your child pick out examples of comics and graphic novels that will get them excited for reading and creating. [RELATED: How to Enhance Your Students Experience with Literature] Summer literacy craft #2: readers theater Readers theater is a performance technique in which actors read directly from the script, without memorizing lines. This is a great opportunity for your student to improve their fluency and vocabulary, while also having fun and utilizing their creative side. Essentially, the goal of this activity is to read the words of the story in the moment, using creative ways of acting out the dialogue. Your child can craft props and costumes out of everyday materials to further illustrate the story they will be telling. You can access scripts for free online, or you and your child can create your own. Acting out words and passages can help students further grasp vocabulary concepts they may have previously found difficult. [RELATED: 4 Tips to Prevent Summer Slide] Summer literacy craft #3: book design Young students can benefit from projects that involve writing and illustrating because it provides the opportunity to gain a firmer grasp of the meanings of everyday words in a creative and engaging way. There are a plethora of written materials your student can create, including: A menu for a pretend restaurant A newspaper of household events or happenings Encourage your child to be creative when it comes to selecting materials for this project. They may choose to create the illustrations from watercolors, paints, oil pastels, or a variety of other creative methods. If your child comes to you for help with a word, help them sound it outbut dont give them the answerin an effort to let them come to the correct conclusion on their own. [RELATED: How to Create a Summer Reading Program For You and Your Child] To help create a healthy balance of fun and learning for you and your family this summer, try these crafts focused around literacy skills. It can be a great benefit to teach your student how learning and creativity intertwine. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us atblog@varsitytutors.com.