As schools are letting out for summer, your kids will probably want to take a short mental/emotional break from learning. So do your best to respect their needs. But please take advantage of any summer reading programs available to you. These have built-in rewards your children will love to earn. All you have to do is help them keep track of time spent reading and/or information about the books they read. In addition, there are other activities you can do on your own to motivate your children in their reading efforts.

Barnes & Noble

If you live near a Barnes & Noble and you have children between first and sixth grade, they qualify to earn a free book! All that’s required is the title, author, and your children’s favorite part of eight books read over the summer. Here is the link to the journal to print out and the list of books you may choose from, divided into age-appropriate groups. After your kids have completed their reading, bring the journal to the bookstore for a fun outing. Plan to stay a while. Allow your children the chance to browse and read. Make note of the titles they want to find at the library. Just remember they are going to want to buy stuff, too! Telling them ahead of time how much they can spend will cut down on the negotiations (or fits) when it comes time to check out.

Public Library

Most libraries offer a summer reading challenge. Our local library presents you with a free book after logging 10 hours of reading. After 100 hours, you receive a t-shirt. While this can be a bit harder to track for each of your children, there is no age limitation. So have your older kids read to the younger ones and that time will count for everyone. If you have a child who forgets to log his minutes, don’t fret. Just wait until she is done with the book, then record how long it takes her to read one page. Multiply that time by the total number of pages, and then you will have your data to log. 

Plan regular visits to the library so your children have lots of material to digest. Consider selecting one day to attend each week. This will give them something to look forward to and a good reason to get through the books they bring home. If you are uncertain about what to look for, refer to a librarian or back to the post Fanning Their Flames. And if you aren’t sure where your closest library is located, check this website.

Chuck E. Cheese

When your children read every day for two weeks, they can earn 10 free play points at Chuck E. Cheese with any food purchase. Here is their rewards calendar to help you keep track of reading. The fine print specifies that it is good for one offer per child, per day. The good news is that these rewards aren’t limited to just reading. If you have a little one who lost a tooth, is potty training, working on behavior, or any other goal you can think of, they can also earn 10 free play points. Take advantage of these incentives to help your child grow and progress during the summer months.

Reading Outings

On your way home from the library or after running errands, stop by a new scenic spot to spend some quiet time with a book. Let your kids know you will be setting a timer for (fill in the blank) minutes. Having a set end time will keep them from losing interest and will make it easier for everyone to fill in their reading logs. Bring a folding chair or blanket and a snack for everyone. And don’t forget a hat or sunglasses to make it easier on their little eyes! These outings will help make summer reading enjoyable and exciting for each of you.

Create Your Own Family Competition

Go purchase an affordable item you know each of your kids would love to have. Set it on top of the fridge where everyone can see it. Tell them the prize will go to the first person who reads (fill in the blank) hours. If this is achieved quickly enough, go get another prize for round two! If your kids aren’t motivated by competition or you’re concerned about hurt feelings when someone doesn’t earn their heart’s desire, make it a family goal instead. If your entire family reads (fill in the blank) hours by the end of the summer, everyone will receive the prize!

Make sure not to overschedule your summer with activities and events. Your children will need some downtime to invest in their reading. With just a little bit of planning and encouragement, your summer can become a hotbed of pleasure reading. I invite you to take some time to discuss with your children which programs they would like to try. And whenever possible, put down that device and join in on the fun!

Have you had any success with these programs in the past? Which one are you most looking forward to trying this summer? Please share with us your reading experiences!

Do you have a child who is relentlessly on the go? Who refuses to slow down long enough to sit and read with you? Who seems to think books are to be used as stepping stones? No problem! I know it’s been hard on you and you’ve tried so many things. But giving up is not an option. It is absolutely necessary that we read to our children daily. This one act can determine your child’s entire future, and I want to help you make it as bright as possible. 

 In my experience, finding those few moments throughout the day where he is confined to a particular space is key. That way you don’t have to go chasing after him and waste your energy. It’s okay if he is occupied with something else. The point is simply for him to be able to hear you reading. The artwork in picture books is often lovely, amusing, and can deepen understanding of the story, but isn’t absolutely necessary for your child to achieve literacy. Reading, however, very much is.

Pottytime

While your child is on the pot waiting for the magic to happen, sit down next to him. Help the time go by with a great book. Chances are he’ll be more likely to stay on the potty. And the distraction from reading might take the pressure off and help move things along. If you can stand the stench, the reward will be doubly worth it! (In with the good, out with the bad, as they say.)

Mealtime

Another great time to read to your busy little one is while he is sitting in his highchair. It is helpful if he is able to feed himself. If not, you might need someone else to do the feeding so you can do the reading. That way both body and mind are nourished simultaneously. If you’re on your own, you might need to get creative!

In the Car

When you’re stuck in the school pick-up line, you likely have your young child with you. Even better, he is strapped in his carseat. He is not going anywhere! So pull out your bag of books and put on a lively show. (If you have other pressing tasks you need to address, make sure you at least have a dynamic book on tape for your child.) The time will fly by for you both. And you will have spent it the best way possible. This also works when waiting for sports or band practice to finish up, when stuck in traffic, or waiting to pick up your take out order.

In the Playpen

With your child conveniently corralled inside a playpen, I’m sure you have a million things you need or want to do. That’s to be expected. But please take a few minutes first to read to your child. Make it your number one priority, especially if this is the only way your child allows you to read to him. That small investment of time will pay off in spades.

If all else fails, pick any time your child is busy playing with his favorite toys. He will be focused on what he’s doing, but the sound of your reading aloud will still enter his adorable little ears. And if he’s truly not interested in what you’re reading, use that to your favor! Pick the latest novel you’ve been wanting to read and go for it. Hearing the rich descriptive language, the back-and-forth dialogue, and the inflection in your voice will certainly do the trick.

What else have you found to be effective when reading with your busy child?

Some children just don’t connect with reading the way others do. They’re not interested in it for school, for fun, or for any other reason. They might claim it is too boring or too hard. If this describes your child, I’d like to offer a few ideas for you to try. These recommendations are centered around the idea that each one of us is living our own life’s story. So if your child isn’t interested in reading other people’s stories, why not read them their own? 

Read Their Birth Story

Reading a story that is all about your child should pique their interest. They will likely hang on your every word and then ask for more! Although your child was present at this momentous occasion, they did not have the words to describe it. That wonderful, blessed job falls to you. 

A birth story can include some experiences during your pregnancy, the plan/expectations of how you thought things would go at their birth, how they actually went, yours and your partner’s inward emotions and outward movements when your infant came into this world, comments made by the doctors and nurses, and details that struck you. Click here for more steps and suggestions on how to write your child’s unique birth story if you don’t already have one done.

If your child is adopted, read to them about the time you first met them and brought them home. For older children, consider writing a fictional story about what it would’ve been like to have them from birth. How would you have felt? What things would you have said and done? These can be powerful ways to build a deeper connection with your child and can sometimes bring healing.

Read from Your Own Journal

I have been the most consistent with my journal writing since purchasing a five-year-journal. It contains 365 pages, one dedicated to each day of the year. A page has enough room for five entries, so you can look back on what happened that same day over many years. Most nights, after I read a bedtime story to my two youngest kids, my husband takes a turn reading and I write in my journal. 

Once I started filling in the entries for the second year, I would sometimes comment on something that happened that day the year prior. Then one of the girls began a habit of asking, “Mom, what happened a year ago today?” This has evolved into a fun nightly routine where we read one or two entries from my journal. The kids love it when their name is read or something funny or special happened that day. I find that this simple act contributes to their own life story by renewing their memories of past events, helping them recognize the important role they play in our family, giving them a better sense of the passing of time, and instilling in them a desire to keep a journal when they are capable of doing so.

If you don’t keep a journal, it might be time to start! You won’t have entries for last year, but in just 30 days, you could be reading last month’s entries to your child. For those who don’t care to keep a journal of their own, that’s completely fine. But please do consider helping your child write one for themselves. And if you can’t get them to read any other books, at least they will have their journal they can keep coming back to through the years.

Read about Their Ancestors

Children’s book author Julius Lester wrote about a concept I absolutely love. He said, “Our lives incorporate more than our physical existence and personal memories. Generations abide within us” (56). We know that to be true based on how DNA works. But beyond the science of genes, each of us becomes who we are mentally and emotionally because of what our ancestors experienced and endured. What a remarkable gift to give our children: a more complete understanding of who they are and why. 

This can be as simple as reading obituaries and old letters between family members. In addition, finding your ancestors and reading about their lives has never been easier, thanks to the websites listed below. Make this a project with your child. Write your own mystery! Try to solve the puzzle about how your family history has shaped the both of you. After all, “Each of us is comprised of stories, stories not only about ourselves but stories about ancestors we never knew and people we’ve never met” (Lester, 73). Now you can go find those stories AND continue writing your own.

Placing your child at the heart of your reading might be just the impetus they need. Be prepared for more frequent requests to read together. And don’t be surprised if you both benefit in other ways, as well!

Lester, Julius. On Writing for Children & Other People. Dial Books, 2004.