Guest blogger Tina Chovanec is the manager of Reading Rockets.org: the authoritative online source for comprehensive and accessible information about teaching young children to read and helping those who struggle. Reading Rockets is one of four multimedia educational websites created by Learning Media, a division of WETA, the PBS affiliate in the Washington DC area. Tina is the mother of two grown daughters, both enthusiastic readers and Scrabulous players. She volunteered at Hoover School (Corvallis, Oregon) throughout their elementary school years, and just started as a reading tutor at Drew Model School in Arlington, Virginia.

Welcome, June. School is winding down, and we begin to plan for a new rhythm to the days and weeks ahead: active summer programs, extra trips to the library, outdoor play time that stretches well into evening, and family adventures to places near or far (don’t forget the books!).

June is also the month when we celebrate fathers. June 15^th is the official day, but Reading Rockets is celebrating early with a collection of articles, tips sheets, book lists, and videos. My own dad has taught me many things, but I’m most thankful for inspiring in me a love of reading and discovery. So, I’m very pleased to be able to share these resources with all you fathers out there in the blogosphere. I hope they will help you discover new ways to become more involved in your child’s literacy development.

Research indicates that your involvement is important. Reading together creates a bond between fathers and their children that will last a lifetime. And studies show that when fathers participate in learning, their children receive higher marks, enjoy school more, and are less likely to repeat a grade.

Dads: read and learn with your child every day. It can be as simple as sharing the comics on a Sunday morning or pointing out signs during a trip to the grocery store. Start a building project together or visit a children’s museum, farmer’s market, or construction site. Talk about what you see, using interesting words that stretch your child’s vocabulary. Share family stories. Finally, let your kids observe you reading – they’ll model what they see.

To find out more, take a look at our latest EdExtras, “the role of fathers in their child’s literacy development” (in English and Spanish) and the Reading Rockets article Top Tips for Engaging Dads.

For the busy dad who wants to learn more about literacy, what good reading instruction looks like in the classroom, and award-winning children’s book authors, check out our new Reading Rockets DadCast podcast series, to debut on our home page on June 9^th. Just download to your iPod and watch or listen during your daily commute or treadmill run.

Jim Trelease, author of the best seller The Read-Aloud Handbook, writes passionately about why something as simple as reading to a child can be so effective. Some dads are natural storytellers and get a big kick out of the sheer drama of creating funny voices for the characters in a book. For those dads who feel a bit less secure with their read-aloud abilities, I discovered a wonderful website from children’s book author Mem Fox called “And Do It Like This” with audio clips that demonstrate the art of expressive read-alouds.

Jon Scieszka, author of Math Curse, The Stinky Cheese Man, and the Time Warp Trio series (and our National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature), created a fabulous site for guys who read (or need a nudge to…). It’s called, of course, Guys Read , and it includes book lists, info on how to start a guys book club, and inspiration with a good dose of Scieszka humor. You may also enjoy the Reading Rockets video interview with Jon Scieszka.

If you asked me to describe my own dad’s reading habits, the short list would look something like this: reading the newspaper cover-to-cover each day, hiking with maps, museum-going, and traveling the world, in person or through books. He has never been big on fiction, but he is always reading, exploring, learning – and talking with us about what he learned yesterday or years ago (it seemed like his “library of knowledge” was impressively deep…). When I turned nine, my dad bought me a hardcover copy of The Phantom Tollbooth. I believe I never dared again to say “there’s nothing to do” after my journey with Milo to the Mountains of Ignorance. Was my father trying to tell me something? I think I was just beginning to catch on to this idea that the world “is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” Thanks, Dad. What an amazing gift.