Keeping Your Child Reading Over the Summer

Summer is here, which can only mean one thing: school is out! Students all over are excited for a few weeks of sleeping in and free days with absolutely NO HOMEWORK. Although summer is meant to be a fun season children can use to rest and recuperate from a long year of learning, it shouldn’t be a time where children refuse to learn. Summer can still be fun with a little learning thrown in and a great way to do that is keep your child reading this summer. Not sure how to do that? Here are a few ways you can keep your child interested in books without taking away their summer freedom.

Summer Reading Program

A great way to keep your child reading over the summer is to enroll in a summer reading program. Local libraries and some schools have reading programs that will reward children for reading a certain amount of minutes or books over the summer months. This is great for children of all ages since each child can choose books according to personal interest and reading ability. After your child completes the requirements for the program, there are numerous rewards and prizes from which to choose. Your child will be excited to pop open a book and start working towards a favorite prize. Barnes and Noble also offers a summer reading program where kids can earn free books!

Challenge the Entire Family

If you expect your child to read this summer, you might want to have the same expectations for the entire family. Challenge everyone in the family to read a book or newspaper and then discuss what everyone read over dinner. To make this challenge more interesting, have everyone read the same book. To do this, choose a book that everyone in the family can read and understand or pair up strong readers with weaker readers. Reading the same book will provide tons of conversation opportunities as you and your family talk about the story line.

Change Up the Reading Material

Reading does not need to be synonymous with a 2,000-page novel. In order to keep your child interested in reading this summer, change up the reading material. Instead of forcing chapter books or non-fiction titles, sign your child up for a favorite magazine or check out a book on CD at your local library. What your child is reading this summer is not important, as long as your child is simply reading. Summer break is meant to be fun, and allowing your children to pick fun and interesting reading material can help inspire your children to become great readers.

Movie Adaptations

In this modern age of technology, it can sometimes be difficult to interest kids in books. If you have a hard time dragging your child away from the TV or gaming system, consider having your child read a book with a movie adaptation. Let your child read the book first and then after the story is finished, take them to go see the movie. It’s a great reward your child is sure to love and you’ll be able to compare the book to the movie.