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April 2025
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Pre-k - 8th Grade
Literacy & Tutorial Centers
Stop the Summer Slide Proven Summer Reading Intervention to Help Your Child Catch Up
Dear Reading Ranch families,
The best way to prevent this learning loss is by keeping little readers engaged, devoting time every day to reading, even just for 20 minutes. As a parent, you can support them by helping them choose books that interest them, setting aside time for reading, and applying that summer spirit of fun to learning activities. This isn’t just “extra homework” — it’s an interactive way to build skills. Take time to use your imagination and explore new activities that encourage creativity, like drawing, visiting museums, and taking small trips. By keeping them interested and entertained through learning activities, they will carry that excitement into the new school year. WHAT MAKES THE READING RANCH SUMMER PROGRAM SO EFFECTIVE? One of the most powerful tools to prevent the summer slide is to get your child involved in a summer learning program. Our face-to-face intervention program allows your child to strengthen their reading skills and gain the confidence they need for the next school year. Our personalized approach targets key areas like decoding, comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, fluency, and writing composition. We kept it fun, using interactive, explicit, and systematic phonics instruction to keep them motivated to learn. Here’s what makes our program so effective. • Proven Success: Decades of experience helping students achieve their reading goals. • Personalized Support: Lessons tailored to meet your child’s unique needs. • Face-to-Face Instruction: Direct interaction with highly trained instructors using our proprietary curriculum and methodology to ensure faster progress. Don’t let summer slip away. Give your child the tools they need to thrive! With just a few hours a week, we can help them close learning gaps, boost their confidence, and prepare for a successful school year ahead. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today! If you have any questions or want to learn more, please contact us. Let’s make this summer a season of growth and success for your child!
I see it happen every summer — children who have worked so hard during the school year start to fall behind. It’s not because they are incapable; sometimes, reading takes a backseat during the summer learning slide. Developing reading skills in little learners requires consistency and practice, and thankfully, just a few hours a week can make a huge difference. At The Reading Ranch, we’ve spent over 30 years helping children not only catch up but gain confidence and get ahead. Our proven summer reading intervention program can help your child strengthen their reading skills and return to the classroom ahead of the curve, and we make it fun! SUMMER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BOOST READING SKILLS. The summer is traditionally a time when kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math as they leave school for summer vacation. Researchers call this the summer slide, and it’s been studied since 1996. It’s no secret that summer can be tough on children. Studies estimate that, on average, children in the third to fifth grades lose about 20% of their school-year gains in reading during this break time. Younger children are most susceptible to the summer slide because it’s a crucial time for their development.
—Dr. Kim Southwell
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Beyond the Words Simple Strategies to Improve Your Child’s Reading Comprehension
Reading involves a lot more than just sounding out words. It’s about understanding, imagining, and connecting with a story on a deeper level. Strong reading comprehension is essential and can help struggling readers grow into confident ones. If your child stares at a page without fully absorbing the context and meaning of the words, you’re not alone. With the right strategies and practice, you, as a parent, can help your child develop their abilities and a more profound sense of enjoyment with reading. Here are three comprehension tips and exercises you can try at home. TAP INTO PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. Young children are still experiencing many things for the first time, but they have a bank of knowledge and personal memories that can help them connect with stories. They will understand the concepts better by relating what they have read to something that’s happened
to them in real life. Help them draw on their personal experiences by asking them how a situation in a story made them feel or if they have ever found themselves in that situation.
pausing to think about the possibilities and progression of the narrative, children will build a skill for anticipating what’s coming in the following pages, heightening their comprehension abilities. As they work through the meaning of the words, help them use context clues and logic to make sense of the text. If there are words or ideas they have trouble understanding, explain what they mean to them. PAINT A MENTAL PICTURE. Imagination is what makes reading fun, and children are pros at using their creativity. Make sure to encourage them to imagine the scenes in their minds as they read or take some extra time to look over the illustrations and ask questions. Your mind is more likely to remember something when you can envision it. Try taking a short break to have them sketch out or draw elements, characters, and moments in the story.
MAKE PREDICTIONS AND INFERENCES. Encourage your little reader to put on their thinking caps by asking them to predict what will happen next in a story. Invite them to imagine what actions the characters might make or what emotions they will feel. By
Real Stories From The Reading Ranch How to Make National Reading Month Extra Special
At The Reading Ranch, nothing makes us prouder than seeing young readers grow their confidence and abilities — and we love hearing from parents who have witnessed that transformation firsthand. From struggling with letters to reading and writing whole sentences themselves, our students make incredible progress with us. Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what parents are saying about how The Reading Ranch has changed their children’s lives. “My third grader has been with The Reading Ranch — Prosper for over a year, and it has been a wonderful experience. He has improved a lot with his reading and writing skills since he started here. The teachers are really good at handling kids, very patient and caring — especially Dr. Kim, who owns this place and has a Ph.D. in literacy. Very knowledgeable and approachable when I have questions. I would definitely recommend The Reading Ranch for personal, one-on-one care for kids.” — Sree
loving it!! I highly recommend The Reading Ranch to anyone who is looking for extra help for their kiddo!” — Amanda
“I am so grateful for The Reading Ranch and the wonderful staff there! They have helped my 8-year-old son tremendously with his reading and writing skills. The staff is professional and kind. Highly recommend!” — Jennifer “The Reading Ranch in Frisco has been a phenomenal experience for our first- grade daughter, who impressively jumped from reading level 4 to 10 in just four months! The teachers are outstanding, nurturing her love for reading, and she’s always thrilled on The Reading Ranch days!” — Natalia Ready to see how The Reading Ranch can help your child grow a love of reading and boost their abilities? Visit ReadingRanch.com to learn about our programs!
“We are blown away at the progress our son has made in only five months. Our son went from not being able to read anything to reading big words and
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Blooming flowers, dust, and hair from shedding animals are common triggers for sneezing. It’s the harmless result of a foreign substance like bacteria, small particles such as smoke, or pollen entering our nasal passages. But did you know a bright light can make some people sneeze? Here are two fascinating facts about sneezing that most people are unaware of. THE POWER OF A SNEEZE Most sneezing is a benign “reset” of the sinus cavity, but doctors have documented injuries associated with extreme sneezes, including pulled muscles and hernias. These “monster” sneezes can also injure eye muscles and sinuses. These unusual cases are more likely if the individual’s mouth is closed. The sinus pressure behind a sneeze can be 100 times greater than during heavy athletic exertion. That’s why droplets expelled can move at 100 mph and travel up to 8 feet. The force of expulsions varies with the size of the person. Even though sneezing with your eyes open is difficult, medical science confirms that it will not dislodge an eye, disproving an old superstition. THE ROLE OF LIGHT IN SNEEZING About 5% of the population experiences reflexive sneezing when exposed to bright lights. This condition is called the ACHOO syndrome (Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst) or photic sneezing. It is a real, scientifically proven reaction to a change in illumination, such as the sudden brightness of opening a window shade or stepping outside into daylight. ‘Bless You!’ Fun Facts About Sneezing
Classic Fish Fry
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
We’re in the middle of Lent, so there’s no better time to host your own fish fry for your loved ones!
INGREDIENTS • Vegetable oil • 2 lbs fresh cod • Salt and pepper, to taste • 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour • 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp water • 2 cups plain bread crumbs • 1/2 tsp mustard powder • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper • Lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS 1. Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Cut cod into 4 servings and season with salt and pepper. 3. Place flour into a pie tin. Whisk egg and water in a second pie tin. Combine bread crumbs, mustard powder, and cayenne in a third pie tin. 4. Coat your fish in the flour tin, then the egg tin, then the bread crumb tin. 5. Set coated fish in hot oil and fry for 5 minutes on each side. 6. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
Who suffers from ACHOO? It’s genetic and a dominant trait, so if your parent
is affected, you have a 50% chance of being a photic sneezer. The likelihood of bright
Take A Break
light triggering sneezing is also higher among those with a deviated septum or uneven cartilage between the nostrils.
So, the next time you hear someone sneeze and you say “Bless you,” know the common phrase is a relic from the Middle Ages and the bubonic plague. People believed the soul left the body during a sneeze, allowing evil spirits to sneak in. Thankfully, we know better, but the sentiment is still appreciated.
Solution
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
6991 Pecan St, Suite 200, Frisco, TX 75034
469.817.9809
Pre-k - 8th Grade
Literacy & Tutorial Centers
ReadingRanch.com
Inside 1 2
A Confident Start to the School Year
Helping Kids Connect With Stories
See What Parents Are Saying!
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No, Your Eyes Won’t Pop Out
Classic Fish Fry
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Heroic Goldendoodle Saves Baby Deer in Heartwarming Rescue
Rescue, Comfort, and Reunion
How Harley Became a Real-Life Hero
Everyone likes to believe their canine companions would jump into action if they noticed someone or something in danger. However, most dogs will never be in a position to save a life or avert a catastrophe. That’s probably a good thing, as watching one of your best friends risk their life for others would be incredibly stressful. In 2021, a Virginia family experienced precisely that as they witnessed their goldendoodle attempt a heroic rescue with a heartwarming aftermath.
During an early summer evening, Ralph Dorn’s dog, Harley, was gone. He started surveying the lake behind his Culpepper, Virginia, home when he spotted the goldendoodle about 200 feet from shore. At first, he wondered what his dog was doing in the water, but he soon realized his trusty pup was not alone. Harley was swimming alongside a tiny baby deer. “Not sure how the fawn got out there, but Harley obviously didn’t ask why. He just jumped into action,” Dorn, 62, wrote in a Facebook post. Harley helped the fawn to shore, where Dorn greeted the animals and helped them climb back onto dry land. Once the deer was out of the water, Harley immediately started licking the fawn to comfort and calm it down. Harley didn’t want to leave the fawn, but after spotting the deer’s mother, Dorn escorted his heroic canine indoors. The fawn and mother
walked away, seemingly never to be seen again. That was, until the next morning.
Harley appeared restless that morning, running from window to window. Dorn opened the front door to see what was happening when he heard the fawn bleating. The deer had returned, eager to thank its rescuer! The two ran toward each other, touching noses and sniffing one another before Harley returned indoors. The brief reunion was enough to calm the fawn and Harley down, and Dorn has not seen either deer since that day. But that’s not Harley’s only heroic feat. The proud pup has also spent time as a certified therapy dog, providing comfort and companionship to seniors in care facilities and children reading at the local library. We can all hope our dogs would take the same actions as Harley if presented with a similar opportunity!
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