Friday, May 29, 2009

Summer Reading & Kids


With summer just around the corner, I suppose it's easy for some kids to read less during these months when they're not in school, so I thought I'd post some of my ideas to encourage summer reading ...

BOOK CLUBS -- When I was little, my mom signed me up for a book club one summer. It was one of those deals found in a magazine where you get a certain amount of books for a penny and then you pay for additional books you want later on. I don't remember the details much, but I remember getting the books. I think it was one of the first packages I got in my own name, so it was a big deal to me. There are all sorts of book clubs these days, including ones like the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club.

LIBRARIES -- I can't say enough about supporting your local libraries. They're filled with so much to choose from. Libraries not only give your children a huge variety of books, but they also teach responsibility by using library cards, taking care of books, and returning them when the time is up. Kids love having their very own library card. Library books are the best because kids can check out as many as they want, without the parents having to look at each one and fret, "How much is this?" It's unlimited reading fun, and when the time is up -- you can get more!

CHORE CHARTS -- If your kids are anything like mine, they have way too many toys. How about offering books as an incentive for their daily chores? We did this with the boys awhile back and it was a lot of fun. If they did all their chores for a certain time period, they got to pick out a book of their choice. We set the dollar amount on the book, which helped them narrow it down when they were shopping. They loved earning their own books!

YARD SALES & THRIFT STORES -- All of the books in this picture were bought for 70-cents at a thrift store. My girls went to one the other day and found these books for their little brothers. How can anyone pass up a book for a dime? We collect Berenstain Bear and Snoopy books, so this was a real treat for the boys. They also love Jurassic Park and All Dogs Go To Heaven, so the girls did well when it came to finding stuff the boys liked. Imagine how much they'd cost new! Yard sales are another great place to buy children's books. Hard cover picture books generally cost $15-20 brand new, but at a yard sale you can find them for a quarter. This is one of the best ways to add to your child's book collection without spending a fortune.

BOOK PROJECTS -- Rather than the boring old book report that kids are required to do for school, try a craft project. Pick a few books with a certain theme and then go online and find some easy crafts to go with it. If you're taking a summer vacation, look for books that relate to where you're going. Right now the boys and I are reading about butterflies, as I posted yesterday. We're doing simple crafts to go along with the stories. In addition to crafts, another fun idea is food. You can do a lot with food and have it relate to the stories your children are reading. The Internet is filled with ideas like that. If your child is younger, have them draw a picture about the story. Reading a book is wonderful, but don't let it end when you close the cover. Take it a step further -- draw pictures, paint, bake cookies!

Tomorrow I will post some of the ways I've kept track of the books my kids have read. I do this for school, but it can easily be used at home during the summer months. It's a fun way for kids to keep track of the books they've read as well as create an awesome keepsake along the way. I hope you'll come check it out -- and -- Happy Summer Reading!

12 comments:

  1. Great post. I think it's all about encouragement and finding subjects the kids want to read about so reading doesn't feel like 'school or work'. Reading is fun!

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  2. Those are some great ideas! Thanks for posting. We'll be doing the summer reading program this year, and my kids have spent the entire winter saving up their money to pay for horse camp. I've never seen them so motivated to work. My house is spotless :-)

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  3. Great ideas, Rena.

    My girls aren't reading yet (Ellie just turned 4, Maddie's 3), but I love to read for pleasure and read to the girls. They love the Eric Carle books, particularly The Grouchy Ladybug (Ellie's fave) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Maddie's fave).

    I can't wait until they get their own library cards. For now, though, it's easier for us to buy them and have our own library.

    Gale

    Gale

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  4. Great ideas Rena, thanks.

    Nancy

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  5. Fantastic ideas, Rena! This post also serves as a great reminder to me that it's time to check the summer reading list for 8th grade, and take a little shopping trip with my son. Thanks!

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  6. Great ideas, Rena! I think I will take my kids to pick out some of their own books at yard sales, etc!

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  7. Great ideas! My kids have always loved the summer reading programs at the library (and some book stores). They keep a reading log and get prizes when they turn them in - which usually include new books!

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  8. Great ideas, thanks Rena! I always try to encourage my boys to read -- especially during summer vacation, and I love your chore chart idea!

    Neen

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  9. Great reminder to sign the kids up for the summer rdg program at the library. They read so much anyway, let them have even more incentive and fun with it!

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  10. I no longer have to keep up with kids during the summer, but mine always read.

    One book I will recommend this summer for children is A New Job for Dilly by Rena Jones, illustrated by Lisa Oakman, which will be released in June.

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  11. See, I'm commenting on a post you wrote a while back. I just wanted to add that we use a chore chart for J. If he wants something bad enough like the magic kit he got 2 weeks ago, he needs to earn it. I think it's a good for kids to earn things. Most of the time it's used to earn money that goes in his savings account.

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