Mommy School- Summer Reading Tips, Incentives and Free Programs

Reading is the foundation of a good education. It is important for children to be exposed to literature at a young age. The more focus you (the parent) put on reading at a young age, the more your child will learn to enjoy and love reading which will set the tone for his or her education. As a former teacher, I know how important it is for children to continue reading each day over the summer. I also know that it can be difficult to get your child to read at home, especially when they are out of their school environment and just want to play all summer! I wanted to dedicate my Mommy School post today to summer reading. Whether you have a toddler, a preschooler or a school age child, you will be able to find some fun and creative ways to get your child to read more over the summer.

 

*Set a specific time each day aside for reading. Make sure your child is aware of this time so that he/she knows what to expect each day. This may help eliminate the “my favorite show is coming on TV” or the “I was about to go outside with my friends” argument.
*Offer Coaching Tips: Encourage your child to talk to you about what he/she is reading. Comprehension is the key to reading. It is important for your child to understand what he/she is reading. Ask your child to tell you what happened in the book. Ask for him/her to identify the main character and tell you a few things the character did. Ask where the story took place. The list of questions can go on and on.
*For school age children have them keep a reading journal. Have your child spend 5 minutes after the 15-20 minutes of reading to write a summary of what they read. For younger children, they can draw a picture and write a sentence describing the picture.
*Identify great places to read at your house where your child won’t be interrupted. Create an environment that promotes reading.
*Be Your Child’s Partner in Reading: Let your child see you reading a variety of materials. Consider have family reading time when the TV is off and everyone is reading.  Plan a time for you and your child to read together.
*Cheer your reader on: Look for ways to let your child know that you want him/her to read. Plan regular trips to the library. Work with your child to set goals. Celebrate finished books with a special time/treat that is decided by you and your child.
*Read WITH your child to help build fluency. You can echo read, which is to read a sentence or two and your child will echo back the same sentence or phrase. You can choral read, meaning you are reading the book together, aloud at the same time.  You can partner read by taking turns reading aloud.
*Encourage your child to read books from different genres. Read menus at restaurants, magazines, non fiction books and fiction books.
*Help your child start a book club with neighborhood kids or friends from school.
*If you have a TODDLER or PRESCHOOL AGE child reading TO your child is the most important thing.  If you child’s attention span allows, read each book 2-3 times. The first time, read the book to your child straight through. The second time, read it to your child again, asking questions along the way. Have your child point to objects, identify letters or words and answer questions on his/her level. For the third time let your child read through the book at their own speed. He/she may just do a picture walk, looking at the pictures. Or he/she may point out objects and talk about what is happening on the pages. The more communication you have about the book, along with reading it, the better.

Five Heart Home created a Watch My Reading Soar incentive program. I love the kite theme with the bows for books read.

Reader’s Response is important for older children. You can find this fun (and free) Reader’s Response Tic Tac Toe board over at Scholastic. 

Spring Time Treats created a sticker chart/ board. I think this one would be perfect for toddlers. I know AG would love putting a sticker on the chart after our 15 minutes of

reading each day.