“I have to read?!?! But it’s summer!!” Can’t you just hear kids all over the country saying this when they find out that reading is still a part of summer break? Sure, some kids LOVE to read but for others, especially beginning readers, it can be hard to motivate them to want to sit down and pick up a book. Summer can be a great time to introduce some fun and engaging ways to make reading more enjoyable for your emerging reader!
Create a Fun Reading Environment
After spending the year in a classroom reading at a desk each day, it’s time to change things up a little bit. Try to make reading a “special” event by creating a new reading environment. This might include building a pillow and blanket fort or putting up a tent, grabbing some flashlights and getting cozy with a book. Another idea is getting some fresh air. Head to the park with a picnic and a few new books and spend the afternoon snacking and reading. Changing up the environment might be just the thing your reader needs to kick start their summer reading!
Take a Trip to the Library
Throughout the summer, take a few trips to the library to refresh reading material. Ask your child what kinds of things they might like to read about and help them find this at the library. Some kids enjoy more non-fiction magazines and research books, while others enjoy fiction or picture books. The library will have all sorts of new books they have never seen before and will entice them to pick up a new book and get reading.
Think Outside of the Box
Reading doesn’t just have to be in a book! Your child can practice reading in a lot of other ways too. Find new items your child might able to read like street signs, menus, magazines or fun reading apps. Practice is still practice, and as an added bonus your child will be so proud when they find out they can read things out in the real world that they might not have ever tried or been able to before.
Build it into the Routine
Sure, summer is all about having unstructured time, vacations, relaxing and getting a break. But, children still thrive with some routine and structure. Try to build in some reading time at the same time each day. Perhaps after lunch, during quiet time you can have your child sit and read for 10- 30 minutes a day. By making it part of the daily routine, there may be fewer battles to get the reading done.
Read to Someone New
Have your child try reading to someone new like grandma or grandpa, siblings, the family pet or even their stuffed animals. This takes some of the pressure off and allows them to be more relaxed with their reading. If you are reading with your child, try taking turns and having them read a page and you read a page so that they also get practice hearing fluency.
Use a Simple Incentives System
If your little one is really opposed to summer reading, it can be helpful to introduce some incentives, or rewards, for getting their reading done. Come up with a goal for either how many minutes per day or how many books in a week that they must read. Maybe they get a small weekly reward like a trip to the ice cream shop or little toy every time they hit their reading goal. For older kiddos, it might be helpful to have a larger monthly goal for the summer with a bigger reward to look forward to if they reach their goal like a day trip or a shopping spree before the new school year!
Written by: Laine J.