How to Make Summer Reading Fun
If you instill a love of reading in your child, you could be giving them one of the greatest gifts they will receive in their lifetime. Check out Mighty Mommy’s tips on how to make summer reading more fun!
Whether you have a pre-schooler who is just starting to learn her letters or a rambunctious 10-year-old who is constantly climbing the walls, if you can instill a love of reading in your child, you could be giving them one of the greatest gifts they will receive in their lifetime.
Even if you aren’t an avid book lover yourself, you can still offer plenty of opportunities to engage your kids in reading for pleasure this summer with a few of Mighty Mommy’s suggestions:
Letter Recognition
Young and new readers learn best in the “now.” Find opportunities together with your child to label letters by pointing out signs in the store, on the cereal box, at a stop sign, in the comic page of the newspaper, on the order board at the burger place you go to, on junk mail, on coffee table books, on highway billboards, just to name a few.
Have them tell you what letters they see and ask them if they can also tell you what that letter sounds like. For big bonus points, see if they can come up with a word that starts with that letter. Example “S” in Stop Sign can also be “S” for Sun. If you play these games several times a week, before you know it your child will be doing it all by himself.
See also: How Reading Connects Families
License Plate Scramble
This game has always been a hit with my 8 kids, even now that many of them are teens. It’s not only a fun learning game, it also helps pass the time on road trips or longer car rides. Help your child find all the letters in the alphabet (in order) by scanning license plates for each letter. If you spot an out-of-state plate, encourage your child to share a fact he might know about that state.
Read an Ebook
According to The Kids & Family Reading Report from Scholastic, more than half the kids who have not read an ebook are interested in doing so.
Check out Scholastic’s new ebook app for kids called Storia. When you download the free app, you get 5 free ebooks to try. Early readers will enjoy the read-aloud feature, while advanced readers will love the note-taking and dictionary features.
Play Library
Try setting up a fun and inviting home library with your kids this summer, even if you don’t have a large inventory of books yet. Start by finding the perfect spot in your home and let your kids know you want to create a special library space just for them.
Make it comfy and kid-friendly by decorating with pillows, blankets, and reading lamps and even flash lights for nighttime reading. Gather as many reading materials as you can, including magnifying glasses, bookmarks, and journals. You can even create a “check out” system like real libraries have to make the experience even more authentic.
Visit your local library to find some books to add to the mix and often you can buy discontinued or gently used books that the library no longer needs for very little money. Have a book swap with neighbors and friends to add some new content to your home library.
See also: How to Teach Science to Children
There are many ways to categorize books: little ones who are not yet reading might arrange by color, subject, character, size, or by soft/hard covers. Early readers can file books in alphabetical order by title and advanced readers can file by author’s last name. By having a designated space devoted to reading and books, you’ll be setting a wonderful example for your kids that reading is important and that books deserve a sacred place in your home.
Book Challenge For Teens
Don’t forget about your tweens and teens when it comes to generating some excitement with summer reading. For the past five years, Mighty Mommy has offered a summer reading challenge to my 5 teens, and overall it has been quite successful.
My teens have to read 3 books for their school summer reading program so I allow one of those books to be included in the challenge. But they must also read 2 additional books, in any genre of their choice, each within a 3-week period. Upon completion, they have to donate the book to an appropriate place and then they get an iTunes gift card or other gift card of their choice.
See also: How to Keep Your Child’s Brain Sharp
How do you encourage reading in your family? Post any tips below or send them to mommy@quickanddirtytips.com.
Summer Reading image from Shutterstock