One For The Books: Encouraging Kids To Engage In Summer Reading
Summer is upon us and with children out of school for the
Summer, parents may be concerned with how to keep their sons and daughters
invested in reading. With many popular Summer activities like swimming, going
to theme parks, camping, playing basketball and skateboarding occupying
children’s time, parents may be wondering how they can incorporate reading into
their child’s daily routine. Here are some suggestions to keep your child
interested in reading during the Summertime.
The first thing you can do to encourage your child to read
during the Summertime is to take them to book shops and local libraries where
they can choose books that interest them. You can also see if their local
library has any Summer reading programs going on that they can participate in. If
you opt to take them to a book shop, some book shops they can find great books
from include Half Price Books, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and
Warwick’s. Some great books that may interest your child include “Anne Of Green
Gables” by L.M. Montgomery, “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett,
“Diary Of A Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney, “War With Grandpa” by Robert Kimmel
Smith, “The Seventh Princess” by Nick Sullivan and “The Redheaded Princess” by
Ann Rinaldi.
If your local library does not have a Summer reading program
that your children can participate in, you can develop a personal Summer
reading program for them. You can even make it more fun by giving them reading themed
challenges or goals and rewarding them with prizes for each goal that is
achieved or challenge that is completed. Some reading challenges you can
include in the program is reading a certain amount of books, reading a certain
amount of pages, reading a certain amount of chapters, reading books from a
specific genre or reading books from a specific author. If you do decide to use
reading books from a specific author as a reading challenge, some authors you
can use for that challenge include Patricia MacLachlan, E.L. Konigsburg, Tui T.
Sutherland, Holly Black, Louisa May Alcott, Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl, Brandon
Mull, Chris Colfer, Ann M. Martin, Enid Blyton, Jacqueline Wilson, Aaron Blabey,
Liz Kessler and Elle McNicoll.
Getting them involved in a book club with other children they
are friends with, especially in their neighborhood is a great way to get kids reading
more. Parents can come together and create a list of books for the children to
read and discuss together weekly while on Summer Break. This is also a great
way to encourage social interaction with other children near them.
Creating a Summer reading list is a great idea to engage
your children in reading. It also allows you to choose books that interest them
that are suitable for their individual reading levels and age-appropriate. “A
Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, “Emily Of New Moon” by L.M.
Montgomery, “Ella Enchanted” by Gail Carson Levine, “Aquamarine” by Alice
Hoffman, “The Beast” by R.L. Stine, “Where The Sidewalk Ends” by Shel
Silverstein, “Island Of The Blue Dolphins” by Scott O’Dell and “If You Give A
Mouse A Cookie” by Laura Numeroff are some books you may consider putting on a
Summer reading list for your child.
Setting aside a designated time for them to read every day
is also a great idea. You can schedule a certain time of day such as 2 p.m. or 3
p.m. for them to sit down and engage in some reading. You can also set a
designated amount of time for them to read such as 30 minutes a day, 45 minutes
a day or 1 hour every day. Setting time limits for other activities children engage
in such as playing video games or spending time on the computer will also help
them to prioritize time for reading.
Introducing your children to books you loved to read as a
child is another way you can encourage them to read. This is also a great way
to bond with your child more as you can talk to them about the books together
and what you both love about them. Additionally, this is also a good way to
make sure your children are reading books you deem appropriate as they will be books
you have already read, therefore you can determine if they are acceptable for
your child’s current age and reading level.
Finally, another way you can encourage your child to develop
an interest in books this Summer is by reading to them. You can read them some
of their favorite books, books recommended to you by a librarian at your local
library or you could even read them books you enjoyed during your childhood. Some
books you may consider reading to them include “The Wind In The Willows” by
Kenneth Grahame, “Freckle Juice” by Judy Blume, “Shiloh” by Phyllis Reynolds
Naylor, “The Hundred Dresses” by Eleanor Estes, “The Lacemaker And The Princess”
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, “Where The Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls, “Elbow
Grease” by John Cena, “A Wrinkle In Time” by Madeleine L’Engle, “Snow In Summer”
by Jane Yolen, “A Whale Of The Wild” by Rosanne Parry and “Tales From Wrescal
Lane” by Mick Foley.
