1. Summer Book Report.doc
         2. 7th Grade Summer Reading List.doc
         3. 8th Grade Summer Reading List.doc
         4. Just Read Florida - Summer Reading List.pdf
         
                                        Don't want to write your book report....
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Helpful Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Reading and Writing  

Amidst the flurry of friends, homework, and hormones, your pre-teen may not feel like reading and writing.  Try these tips for keeping him/her interest and skills on track.

1.         Let your child choose what to read.  While you may cringe at their preferences, they may never touch a title if it's force-fed.

2.         Talk about what they read.  Ask them what they think of a book and make connections with ideas or issues that are relevant to their lives.

3.         If they are struggling or bored with a book, let them put it down.  Forcing them to stick with a difficult or dull book that's intended for pleasure will reinforce the idea that reading is a chore.

4.            Subscribe to magazines that will interest them.  Ask them to choose one or two titles and put the subscription in their name.  It doesn't matter if the magazine is about extreme sports or fashion as long as your child enjoys reading it.  Introducing the idea of regular reading is an important step towards becoming a lifelong reader.

5.         Read the newspaper together.  Whether it's for 15 minutes over breakfast or on weekends, establish a routine and discuss what you read.  This will also help build their vocabulary.

6.         Play games that utilize reading.  Scrabble and Boggle are specifically good for building vocabulary and spelling, but most games include reading opportunities, including kid versions of Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, and Clue.  Crosswords provide opportunities for learning new words and spelling practice, too.

7.            Encourage them to read to a younger sibling.  Letting them take over ritual reading at bedtime once a week will ensure they read something, and they may find their sibling's enthusiasm for stories contagious.

8.         Visit the library together.  Try to make it an event where you share some quality one-on-one time and both choose a few books.

9.         Find an outlet for your child to publish a book review.  When they finish a book, encourage them to write a book review and post it up on a web site or on an online bookstore such as Amazon.com.

10.       Keep up on what they are reading.  If you can, read a few pages of their book yourself so you can discuss it with them.

11.       Model reading.  Your pre-teen will still follow your reading habits.  Let them see you reading.

12.       Collect trading cards.  There are card series to appeal to most interests, from sports to space travel.  Most cards include facts that encourage kids to read more about their hobbies.

13.       How to books.  Is there something your child would really like to learn how to do?  Encourage them to find out how by reading about it.  They can read instructions in do-it-yourself kits or download information from the web.

14.       Get cooking.  Invite your child to bake a cake or a special meal together and have them read the instructions to you.  Also try kid cookbooks like The Magic Spoon, which has fun recipes and entertaining directions for them to read.

15.       Take a road trip.  Write down travel directions and have your child serve as navigator when you drive.  Give your co-pilot a map before you go and ask them to mark the route according to the directions.

16.            Encourage writing.  Whether it is by snail or email, suggest that they keep in touch with distant friends or relatives.  Keeping a journal or chronicling a family vacation will also provide reading practice.  Drop a letter in their school bag or email them a funny joke.  Keep a list of chores on the refrigerator and write family news or appointments on a wall calendar.

17.       Listen to books on tape in the car.  If you're heading on vacation, or even back-and-forth to school, try listening to a novel that will appeal to everyone.

18.            Suggest books from movies they liked.  They may enjoy getting even more detail in the book.  Or read the book first and compare the movie to the book.

19.            Provide a good dictionary and thesaurus.  They need reference materials to develop their reading and writing skills.

20.       Be flexible.  Within reason, avoid asking your child to stop reading because it is bedtime or time to do a chore.

Clearlake Middle School
1225 Clearlake Road Cocoa, FL 32922
321-633-3660