The summer is a great time to help your child read. I've been reminding people a lot about that lately with this blog. Proficient reading skills are the key that opens the door to your child's future. The better his or her reading skills, the better the child usually will perform in school. And those who are not proficient in reading by the third grade stand an increased chance of failure in later grades and high school.
So, now is as good a time as ever to just jump right into the reading fray -- plan some time each summer day to read with your children. If my word isn't enough, read on.
A lot of people know Tony Dungy as the former Super Bowl winning coach of the Indianapolis Colts. But most know rest of his background -- his upbringing in Michigan, college days as a quarterback, conversion to defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and now, in retirement, his campaign to aid literacy.
Personally, I remember Dungy as a great high school quarterback at Jackson Parkside, where he was an All-State selection as a senior (my junior year at neighboring Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn). Dungy went on to the University of Minnesota as a multi-purpose quarterback, where he played very well before being drafted by Pittsburgh, where he was converted to a defensive back by the Steelers of Chuck Noll and company.
But, as anyone who has listened to Dungy knows well, there's much more to him than just football. While he still excels as a analyst for NBC's Sunday Night Football (he's one of the best on the air today), he and his wife, Lauren, have devoted their off time to "hoping that the next generation follows their dreams," just as he once did.
They recently toured the Midwest, East Coast and Southeast to promoted "You Can be a Friend" after the success of their first children's book, "You Can do It," which is about the story of Dungy and his young brother, Linden.
Like many others, the Dungys started reading and campaigning for improved literacy when he was coaching in Indianapolis, where they noticed the low high school graduation rates. Lauren had always volunteered to read to young school children, and the couple decided to focus children's books on material that was fun and interesting, but with a message.
They have a deal to write six more books for Simon and Schuster, which will include children working through issues and parents helping them out.
For more information about the Dungys' books, click here to go to the Simon & Schuster booksite.
In the video below, the couple reads a book during one of their promotional tours.
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