Resources
Family Resources
Reading Corner
summer learning loss
Without continued learning over the summer, your child is at risk of being as much as 3 grade levels behind their classmates by the end of 5th grade. Summer reading is crucial to the success of every child's future!
The most important things to remember when it comes to summer reading are:
Access to books and free choice
Access to books is #1 in helping children combat the summer slide. Public libraries have a ton of free resources, activities (and of course books!) for you and your child. It is important to let your child have free choice about what they choose to read. If your child isn't sure what they like, ask the librarian for help. For example, if your child likes trucks, scary stories, and dogs, ask the librarian for book recommendations based on those 3 things.
Time spent reading together
Parents who read frequently are 6 times more likely to have kids who enjoy reading. Take some time to check out your own books at the library or read with your child. Kids of all ages love hearing stories from their parents!
Focus on the fun
Parents must have a positive attitude and view reading as fun so that kids will feels the same way. Summer is a great time to focus on reading just for fun! The more fun kids have reading, the more they will read which makes them a better reader and ready for the new school year.
Summer Reading
Houston Public Library
Free reading for babies, kids and adults
Barnes & Noble
Get a free book for participating in Barnes and Noble's Summer Reading Triathlon
Reading Rockets
10 weeks of daily fun literacy activities
Vroom
Easy ways to nurture your child's brain development
Half Price Books
HPB Summer Reading Program, with both recommended reading and fun activities.
Family Fun in Houston
Jill B Jarvis
Fun things to do in Houston with Kids
Houston on the Cheap
A blog with discounts, free activities, and more!
Kids Out and About
Free family resources, summer camps, giveaways, and activities to do around Houston
Houston Public Library
Library enter your zip code to find the library closest to you
Parent Education
United Way
Community resources for adult education, ESL classes, and more
Read Aloud
Information on the importance of reading aloud
MAM
Adult ESL classes
Children's Museum of Houston
Parent Outreach Programs with CMH
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Health Guide
Self care while caring for a generation once removed.
Social Services
Houston Food Bank
America's largest food bank in distribution leading hunger relief in 18 southeast Texas conties
MAM
Memorial Assistance Ministries provides a network for emergency services for families living in poverty
WHAM
West Houston Assistance Ministries provides food, financial and employment assistance to families in need
How to pronounce the sounds of the Alphabet
When a child knows the proper sounds of the alphabet letters, he or she can use those sounds to sound out or decode a word. This skill is essential for successful phonics instruction later on. The more accurately the sounds are taught to children, the easier it will be for them to learn to read and spell. Study the video on this page to learn the correct pronunciations of the letter sounds. You might be surprised at how many sounds some letters make!
