4 Ways To Make Summer Reading Fun

By Kenda - June, 25th 2015

This post is brought to you by Scholastic and Energizer, sponsors of the 2015 Summer Reading Challenge

My youngest is finally out of school and the summer has officially begun. Of course, he couldn’t wait to get outside in the sun, ride his bike, play in the sprinkler and more. But, I was surprised that he also wanted to read outside. Don’t get me wrong, he’s always enjoyed books. But, he never really…well…sat still for them. If you read to him, he would listen – while running around, jumping off the bed and more. This year we were determined to fire up his love of books so that he would want to take a more active role, especially since he was starting to learn how to read himself. Slowly it started working. He was asking “Can I read to YOU tonight?” and getting excited when new books were brought home. Then, this happened….

 

I can’t tell you how happy this made me. I’ve always loved reading anywhere and everywhere, and to see my five year old pick up the same habit… well that makes this mom so proud.

Even though the sun is shining and the back yard is calling, we’ve still made time for reading. We’ve kept the love of books alive in the midst of the “summer slide” and you can too, with these 4 Ways To Make Summer Reading Fun:

1. Start With What They Love

What does your child already love? Maybe dogs or unicorns. Firetrucks or dinosaurs. Start with books that connect with their existing interests. If you aren’t quite sure which topics would work best, get clues from tv shows they watch, games they play and even their favorite stickers or coloring books. Once you know what really grabs their attention, head to your local library and ask the librarian to point out the books that best match your child. Once you’ve stoked their love of reading and the fire is burning bright, it’s time to branch out and introduce new topics that they may not have experienced before.

2. Don’t Leave The Books At Home

Next time you take a road trip, swap out the video game or dvd for a reader appropriate to your child’s age. Have them read aloud to you during your drive, or just quietly to themselves while they turn the pages. But, you don’t need a long drive to enjoy books on the go. Try heading to the park with a bag of your child’s favorite stories and snuggle down on a picnic blanket for some outdoor reading before playtime. There are so many opportunities to read to your child or listen to them read: waiting at the doctor’s office, the beach, reading aloud to you while you grocery shop, and more. Books are the ultimate portable entertainment.

3. Don’t Stop Just Because You Close The Cover

You’ve just finished a new book, the last page has been turned. What now? You could move on to the next story…or you could make this one come alive even more. Ask your child questions about the book: What was your favorite part? Which character did you like best? What do you think the story meant? If you were (Character) what would YOU have done? If the story kept going, what do you think would happen next? Engage with them so that the story sparks their imagination, reasoning and understanding.

4. Create Goals & Offer Rewards

One of the best ways to introduce ‘reluctant’ readers to a new love of books is to create reading goals and offer positive rewards for their reading achievements. Children, especially younger ages, need something visual that they can look at and say “I did that!”. It also gives them a way to, themselves, keep track of their progress and see just how far they’ve come over the summer.

One great way to achieve this is the  “Power Up & Read” Summer Reading Challenge with Scholastic and Energizer®

This year’s challenge theme is “Power Up & Read,” encouraging kids to read all summer long and unlock 12 original short stories by bestselling children’s authors as kids reach reading milestones. Scholastic has joined together with ENERGIZER® to power the Summer Reading Challenge and encourage families to find innovative ways to discover the power and joy of reading. Parents can sign up kids now through September 4, 2015. 

 

The challenge is 100% Free to sign up and enjoy with your family. Your child can create an account on the Scholastic challenge website that allows them to not only keep track of their reading minutes through the summer, but also compete in mini challenges to earn badges and bragging rights. Parents can also grab printables such as reading logs, certificates of achievement, and story starters so that reading becomes interactive for the whole family.  Not sure what to read next? You can also print a wonderful reading list (organized by age) to help you out on your next trip to the library or bookstore.

New This Year: Kids can unlock 12 original short stories (exclusively for this year’s challenge) from favorite children’s authors and access never-before-seen videos from the authors!

Activities for Parents Too: Parents can enter weekly sweepstakes to win a “Power Up & Read Kit” and watch videos about summer reading activities to keep you “innovative” all summer long. The prize pack includes: Scholastic tote bag, water bottle, a copy of Reading Unbound by Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith, $10 gift certificate to Scholastic Store Online, Energizer® brand batteries, Scholastic books, and more.

We’ve been having a lot of fun with our Summer Reading Challenge! My youngest loves logging his minutes and earning his badges (or, as he calls them, “super reader stickers”). If I forget to put in his minutes, he makes sure to remind me! He loves watching his minute count go up and it makes him feel so accomplished.

Are you looking for a fun, interactive way to get your kids to read more this summer? FIND OUT MORE:

Sign up for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge

Find more Scholastic Resources to keep your kids reading all summer long!

Learn more about the Energizer® Instant Win Game

Follow @Scholastic on Twitter  #SummerReading

Like the Energizer® Bunny on Facebook