Summer vacation is here at last! I am not liking the very HOT temperature lately but I am excited to do a lot of fun things with my family. I am filled with fun and educational ideas to do with our girls. During the summer , reading or grabbing a book might be the farthest thing on any children's minds. Understandably though, who would want to open a book during a summer break? when all they did all school year long was to study.
Keep in mind that studies have shown that kids who read during the summer break will perform better academically than those who do not. So how do we keep them reading? How can we encourage a reluctant reader?
Here are practical and fun ways to keep our kids reading during the summer, PLUS a FREE SUMMER READING LOG PRINTABLE.
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HERE
1.
Join a summer reading program.
Visit your local library. During this time local libraries are filled with fun summer reading programs and activities. Last year, our local library had the dinosaur theme. It was a lot of fun , aside from the incentive they offer when you read a certain amount of books, every Tuesday they would have crafts and special guests and performers. This year, they are doing a "Galactic Forces" theme. Our girls are excited!
2.
Practice what you preach.
Aside from letting them know how important reading is, model the good behavior. Parents who read will more than likely pass that on to their children. Read different materials in front of them.
3.
Rent movies that were based on a book.
Get them excited by getting the book, then letting them know that there is actually a movie to watch. Their minds while watching will just spark a whole new level of imagination. Think of
James and the Giant Peach ,
Madeline or even Disney movies..go for it!
4.
Do crafts or activities with a book.
I am sure you are familiar with Laura Numeroff's books. Here's some fun activities to go with her books.
If you read a book about sports, go play sports outside.
If you read a book about a ballerina, do a dress up and recital play party.
If you read about nature, go on a nature hunt.
If you read an I spy book, do your own I spy game outside or inside your home.
5.
Keep the books coming and offer variety.
Have you heard of
Bookroo? A subscription for books, each month
Bookroo
will deliver an Eco-friendly recycled box filled with 2-3 specially
selected books. Their mission is to enable and empower parents and
caregivers to build
their libraries in an affordable, enjoyable, and stress-free way. What's
great is that it is also about building a
community of parents dedicated to helping their children grow through
reading.
Read :
Where To Find Cheap and Free Books
6.
Offer a book when you hear " I am so bored".
Instead of giving them your smartphone or Ipad. Give them a book. If you ask them "what book would you like to read ?" , more than likely..they will answer " I don't know" or " anything ". So instead, give them a book that would spark and hold their interest. Try saying " I know you love sports , here's a book about hall of famers" or " I know you love animals ..here's a book about endangered animals".
7.
Let them read for you.
When I go to the grocery store with just our eldest daughter , I have her read my shopping list to me. Sometimes, I even ask her to read food packages /labels. Different but hey it will keep the mind sharp while doing a mundane task-- grocery shopping. Let them read to you while you are cooking or sorting laundry.
Read :
How We've Taught Our Now 5 Year Old To Read at the Age of 3
8.
Do your own summer reading program.
We had our kids pick up 10 books each and they will read in two weeks. After that we give them a simple reward. It can be a dollar store toy , a frozen yogurt stop ( yum!) or anything that you know will get them excited.
9.
Get a magazine subscription for them.
There are a lot of magazines that are geared towards kids. We have the subscription for
Highlights
Amazon
has a wide range of magazine subscriptions for kids that are discounted ( up to 92%).
Magazine Agent also, has pretty good prices on children's magazines (30-60%)
- Sparkle World (6 Issues)
- Disney Princess (6 Issues)
- Disney Junior (6 Issues)
- Zootles (6 Issues)
- Thomas & Friends (6 Issues)
- Highlights High Five (12 Issues)
- ADDitude (4 Issues)
- Disney Frozen (6 Issues)
10.
Give them a more relaxed schedule and routine.
On school days, I am sure that most of you follow a more strict schedule and routine to avoid chaos. During summer time, offer a more relaxed schedule. Let them choose their own reading time. Some kids stay up late during summer nights, you can encourage reading by telling them " You can stay late as long as you wish tonight, as long as you are reading a book " . You can also , make a cozy place for them to read, a reading nook.
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.
for my birthday... I was over the moon!
is in your near future, don't just stop there. Know your camera . I am a momma who loves capturing moments and a blogger but I am still learning how to use my camera.
