Some of you have already started summer vacation and some of you have a few days/weeks left. My kids have two days left and they can't wait. Neither can I! I can't wait for the laid back schedule of summer, but I don't want my kids to get too lazy with their studies and, I think, reading is the key to preventing them from doing just that. It's easy for half of my kids to spend the whole day reading, but the other half would much rather do other things. This summer, however, is going to be different. I came up with a plan to get us all reading everyday.
Last summer my husband came up with the great idea to have the kids do book reports. So I made up some book report pages and we told them that whoever had the most by the end of the summer would get to go on a night out with Mom and Dad. They did good at the beginning of summer but then in the middle they kind of slacked off, then crammed toward the end to get those reports in.
I've got a plan to get them to read through out the entire summer. I know it's not a new concept, but I need to implement it to make reading fun and a good habit to those who don't do it regularly. (Read my plan below), but first...
Here are the book report pages that I came up with. (With the help of pinterest). I got some ideas from others and made my own pages. Now I'm sharing them with you.....
So here are some tips to encourage your child to read this summer:
Make a time and place in your home for reading. I remember when my kids were little, I dedicated a corner in our family room for reading. The kids loved sitting in it with a book open, looking at the pictures. Now that they're older they just sit anywhere and read, well some of them anyway. To help those who have a hard time, Here's my plan! We're going to dedicate a half hour everyday to just read. I'm going to allow them to sit where ever they want, get comfy, and read their book.
Encourage your kids to use technology to access e-books. My kids all received Kindles for Christmas and they love them! I love them as well not only because I can use them as leverage for when I want them to clean their rooms or something, but they also have settings on them. I can set them up to not be able to play games until they have read for the allotted time that I specify AND I can set time limits/passwords on their games and internet use. Isn't technology grand?! Also if you go to your local library's website, you'll find a whole bunch of e-books. I just discovered this AND when the books are due they automatically get "returned". How great is that?! Which brings me to the next one....
Go to your local library and, if you haven't already, register your child for their own card. A word of warning though. If you allow them to get a lot of books, make sure you keep them in one place in your home so it's easy to find them all and they don't get lost. Believe me it's not fun to have fees if a book comes up missing. Normally, there's no late fees for childrens books, but they do charge you a fee if that book never gets returned. We've been there/done that and now all my children have a limit to how many they can check out, especially because now my teens check books out from the adult section. (which has late fees). Anyway, your local library can be fun for little ones with story time, and all the extra activities they provide. My kids like the summer reading programs they have as well.
Check them out!
Read stories and dramas together - discuss the characters and their challenges. This is so important and can be fun! I have fond memories of my mom reading to me and my siblings and I've tried to read aloud to my own children as well. There are so many good things about reading aloud to your children.
Give books as presents. Books can be cheap and the best form of entertainment! Every holiday and birthday we try to give our kids at least one book. They love it!
Here's to a great summer for reading! I hope this helps you all! How do you get your kids to read in the summer? What plans do you have to get them to read? I'm always looking for ideas!
Thank you for stopping by! Have a great day!
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-Britta
This is awesome! Thanks for the great ideas and great printables. :)
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