Summer Reading for kids can be one of the many fun activities that can fill their summer time with endless fun. Children who engage in reading during vacation will not only avoid the “summer slide” in learning, but also score higher on reading achievement tests and spellings.

Reading aloud, is it necessary?

Reading and language skills in little children has always been associated with the early involvement of parents in reading to their children even when they are babies. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world beyond what they see and hear in their surrounding.Reading aloud in the early years exposes children to story and print knowledge as well as rare words and ideas not often found in day-to-day conversations.The bonding and  nurturing between parents and children during reading aloud sessions encourages children to form a positive association with books and reading later in life.

Research has proven time and again the benefits of reading to children which include language development, listening skills, academic excellence, high IQ levels and most importantly it  prepares them to understand the written word. When the sounds of a language become the rhythm and rhyme of a child’s life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk. Developing your kids reading skills even before they step into preschool can be the best gifts you can give.Reading aloud gives children the opportunity to also practice the skill listening and analyzing – which are crucial skills for kindergarten and beyond. Once children start school, difficulty with reading is one of the main factors that contributes to disliking school and poor understanding.

10 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Kids a must read article.

So whether your children can read by themselves or need to be read to there is no better time than the summer vacation to get it started. Here are some lists by age groups published by Scholastic. Download the 2015 Summer Reading for Kids book lists:

• Ages 0–2
• Ages 3–5
• Ages 6–7
• Ages 8–10
• Ages 11–13
• Young Adult

Please note that the reading level of the books suggested varies. If your child is already reading, have him or her read a page of the book aloud to you to see if it is a good fit. If they struggle with more than a few words on the page, it is probably too difficult, but the book would still be a great book to read aloud to your child. If you would like to keep things simple just stick to the known. Books by popular authors listed below are highly recommended for ages 3 to 7 years.

• Dr Seuss
• Julia Donaldson
• Oliver Jeffers
• Mecer Mayer
• Eric Carle

Shop here for these books and many more interesting books for kids and make summer reading for kids as enjoyable as it can be.