Rebecca Mieliwocki From Honda

Published: May 24, 2016, 5:27 p.m.

Educational Ideas for Families in the Car This Summer
oMany parents worry that their children will experience “summer learning loss,” the loss of some of what they’ve learned in their time away from the classroom
oKids can lose up to three months of prior learning due to the extended summer breaks and the time it takes away from the next year’s instruction as teachers work to bring students back up to speed
oEnrichment in the form of free reading and exposure to books and printed materials can not only stem the tide of this summer slide, it can also boost students’ achievement levels when they DO return to school
oHonda Road Readers provide families a fun and educational way to keep kids’ minds engaged this summer and helps families turn car time into quality time

oOne-third of Americans plan to take a family trip this year, and the most common type of trip they plan to take is a road trip (according to a 2016 AAA survey)

oThe Honda Road Readers app:
oInspires young listeners to vividly imagine with their families
oLets families share the infectious fun of reading together
oExposes children to a variety of great authors, books, writing genres and literary styles
oIncreases the sense of shared experience and connection among family members
oInvites young people to dream, imagine, question and wonder
oStrengthens reading comprehension and appreciation through the use of high-level questions designed to enhance a child’s understanding of stories, their meaning, and their emotional impact

oThe Honda Road Readers app is available for Apple® and Android™ phones, and provides Honda drivers access to five free audiobooks for children and young adults
Related Honda Survey
oHonda Road Readers program aims to help better utilize the time—roughly 208 hours—the typical American family spends driving each year.
oHonda commissioned a survey of more than 1,500 parents with one or more children ages 5 to 16 and learned:
o77% of parents think listening to books or stories read aloud is very important for children’s cognitive development and for developing their listening skills

o69% of parents polled were concerned that their children are spending too much time in front of screens (cell phones, computers and TV)
Other Ideas for Family Quality Time in the Car
oExplore What Your Kids Love. Do they like trains? Landmarks? Point them out while on the road and ask them where they imagine the train is headed or why a particular landmark is special. Let these questions turn into a story you make up together.