Quick Ideas to Get Kids into Summer Reading

Encouraging a Love of Reading This Summer – For our kids

We can all agree that reading is a great way for our kids to spend some time this summer.  I am excited to help you think about some small things that you can do that will make a big difference.

Welcome to our Summer Reading Series! 

Ideas to encourage kids to love reading.

Actions to take to encourage reading:

• Provide time for reading. Set some time apart specifically for reading.
• You read your book and give them a stack of their own.  Sit on the couch together with a special drink or a chocolate treat and tell them that it is “reading time”.
• Go to the library and let them pick out books they enjoy. Teach them how to browse the shelves.
• Get a reading chart to color in books read. I like this one!
• Use a booklist that works for your kid and their interests. This resource is amazing!
• Go to used book stores and give them $5 to spend however they want. And stock up on books from the discount section while you are there!
• Have reading time be a special event, not a punishment. We “get to read”, not “You have to read!”
• Find books that spring board from what your kids are already interested in.
  • What is their favorite TV show?
  • What computer games do they enjoy playing?
  • What do they talk about at dinner time?
• Where do you keep your books? Are they easy to reach and can your kids see them easily?
• Can you set a small stack of books in a basket on the coffee table? Can your child have a stack of books in their bed to read at night or in the early morning?
• Take the time to teach them to slow down and read.
  • Reading time will require training and patience. Reading is a skill that must be practiced and learned. It does not come naturally to most people and will get better over time.  For adults and kids alike. The more time I spend reading the more I enjoy it.
• Watch the movie first! Have a family movie night and then give them the book to read. Having the visual picture in their heads of the characters and the setting can make the book feel more alive.
• Great books and captivating stories matter.
  • All books count – graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, fan fiction, books based on TV shows.
  • Not all books are the same quality but sometimes you have to work your way into the bigger stuff. Entice the kids with the “literary candy bar” so that someday they will be willing to eat the broccoli. Lead with enjoyment and not reading level or difficulty.
• Have conversations at dinner time about what you are reading. Ask the kids to think about characters, choices, settings, and relationships that are different than the life they live.
• Listen to audiobooks in the car on a long drive or while eating lunch. – more on this below

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Questions For You:

• What can you do this week to encourage reading in your home?
• When was the last time that you browsed the shelves at the library? When can you go there again?
• What kinds of books do you have at home?
• How can you organize your books differently or set a few out to be seen?
• What kinds of characters and stories do you enjoy as a family? Superheros? Harry Potter? Disney? Sitcoms?

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Let’s Talk about Audiobooks!

This is the lever that gets that huge bolder dislodged and rolling down the hill. Audiobooks are a powerful tool I have used to enhance my life and our family life.Ways to include Audiobooks into your week:

• Audiobooks for the whole family – lunch time, long car rides and quiet mornings 
• My chore time – audiobooks for me (see this article about Hobbies for more)
• Quiet time for kids – older kids who no longer take a nap are more willing to listen to an audiobook on the couch with headphones and a comfy blanket. It is some downtime that is much needed without the stigma of an official bedtime or sleeping required.
• Hobby development – Have them listen while crafting, weaving, building Lego projects, making Perler beads creations, & drawing.

  Questions: 

• How can audiobooks enhance your life? 
• What are some areas where you can add in audiobook listening? 
• What is a book you have been wanting to make time to read? 
• When is there a spot in your day when you feel worn down and listening to someone read would be relaxing and uplifting for you? 

I plan to write an entire article on audiobooks but here is a helpful resource for now: (Audible Q & A and audiobooks info on RAR)

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So you finally got the kids reading… Now What?

Keep that flame going! Join in the reading fun by letting your inner reader come out. Let your kids see you sitting on the couch with a book. Have your kid read aloud to you and just enjoy the story along side them. Take turns reading the book together using character voices or trading back and forth at each page. Talk about books! Have discussions comparing books, ranking books, and judging what actions characters did. Feeling stuck on what to say? I am so glad you asked!

Questions to Spark Discussions About Books:

Here are some questions to ask without reading the same book as your child. (Because really, I have enough to do without spending time reading the books my kids are reading.)

• Why does this book have that title?
• What characters would you like to meet in real life?
• What do you wish was different?
• What would you ask the author if you could talk to him or her?
• Was there a lesson that you learned?
• What character did you not like?  Who did you like?
• Where was this book?  Would you want to visit there?
• What would you do if you were in this book?
• Are there any books you have read that are like this one?
• What surprised you the most?
• What event would you change?

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Encouragement:

You can do this! You can encourage your kids to be readers, thinkers, and self-motivated students. Reading is a way to expand your ideas, your perspective and your experiences.
I want my kids to be raised by a mom who is “not done”.  I want my kids to see adults in their home who push themselves and do hard things. Let’s dig in and teach our kids how to move forward in regular reading time.
There are so many small things that you can do that will make a long term difference in your home and in the reading lives of your kids.
What will do you this week?  What will you try to encourage reading in your home?

Free Resource – Book List!

I have lots of book lists. Most of them I have gotten from The Read Aloud Revival. But I have also come back to several titles again and again. Most of these we have listened to on audio. And some of these we have seen the movies that are based on the book. Maybe this summer we can catch up and see more of these movies!

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