Summer is coming up quickly and soon school will be out and, if we aren't careful, books will be forgotten until September rolls around again! Here are just a few ideas to help you and your children enjoy reading together this summer!
1. Take your children to the public library on a consistent basis during the summer. Make sure they have their own library card, if they are old enough to handle it themselves, and provide them with opportunities to use their card. Most libraries have a summer reading program even for the little ones. Last summer, my three year old enjoyed the reading program at our library. For every 10 books I read to her, she got to pick a prize. It was usually some little prize she lost interest in after a day or two, but she gained the value of having read so many books. There was a huge increase in her interest of being read to when the summer reading program was over!
2. Take time, even just 10 minutes, every day possible to read to your children. Even the older kids will enjoy being read a book that is on their level. In previous posts, I've mentioned how reading aloud is an advertisement to our children for good books. Read to them and you will be amazed at how their interest in good books will grow. Pick a book you know they will enjoy.
3. Challenge your children to read a certain amount of books and reward them when they do. For younger readers, you could do a weekly challenge. When the goal is met then reward them with something simple such as ice cream, a trip to the park, their favorite fast food restaurant, etc. For the older kids, you could make it a monthly or the entire summer challenge and let them earn something they would really enjoy and you can afford!! :) Whatever amount of money, (reasonably), and time, (there's never too much), you invest in inspiring your children to read, will be worth the monetary or "time" sacrifice.
4. Make your children reading important to yourself. If it's not important to you that your children read this summer, then it's going to go by the wayside. The best of intentions are often forgotten because they were just that, intentions. There was not preparation, planning, or effort put behind those intentions. Summer gets very busy with vacations, zoo trips, little league, holidays, etc. Make reading one of the top priorities this summer for your family!
I hope you all have a wonderful summer and when September rolls around again I hope your family has added several new favorites to your book list!
Happy Reading!
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