Easy Tricks to Keep Your Kids Reading This Summer

Summer is coming and let's face it, the kids really do deserve a break.  School is hard and exhausting work and they need a chance to unwind, reset their brains and focus on playtime!  That being said, we cannot let our kids’ reading abilities suffer during the time that they are not in school.  So much time is wasted at the beginning of the school year simply because kids are trying to catch back up again.  Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

So how do you make sure that your kids’ reading abilities don’t falter?  Well, I have put together some easy tricks to keep your kids reading this summer. Tricks so great that they don’t even realize that they are learning and working their brains during vacation.

Summer Reading Programs at your 

Local Library

Sign up your kids for the Summer Reading Program at your local library.  These programs are so much more than just “going to the library.”  Typically, a Summer Reading Program offers a weekly gathering with a new entertainer or activity each week for the kids to enjoy. I have seen jugglers, “reptile guys”, puppeteers, scientists, artists and lots more.  In addition, the programs offer prizes to the kids for their reading efforts.  The prizes are often awarded weekly for participation as well as incentives to win bigger prizes at the end of the Summer based upon how many books that they have read throughout the program.  

Reading Challenges at Chain 

Bookstores and Restaurants

Many large bookstores offer reading challenges for kids in which they reward them with a free book when they have completed the challenge.  Additionally, I have seen chain restaurants offer coupons for free food items (pizzas, ice cream, etc) for a specific amount of reading.

Fun, Printable Worksheets

Do you ever spend any time on Pinterest?  (haha just kidding, of course you do...we all do) Well, from now on, take a little bit of time on Pinterest and search out some fun, printable reading and writing worksheets, word search forms, etc. to print out.  Your kids will have fun doing these activities without even realize that they are, in fact, practicing up their reading. (keywords: FREE READING ACTIVITIES or FREE READING WORKSHEETS)

Read Out of the Ordinary Books

So, maybe your kid just won’t sit down and read a big book, but maybe they will love to sit down and check out a kids magazine, a comic book or a graphic novel. It really doesn’t matter what they are reading.  The fact is that they are building upon their reading skills regardless of what they are reading, let them have fun with it.

ABCMouse.com

If your kids are age 7 and younger, you might consider letting them play online at abcmouse.com.  They have fun games that the kids really enjoy playing, but they are all educational based.  That’s right, they are playing games and learning!  There are other similar websites out there as well, but abcmouse.com is a favorite of many kids. The first month is free!

Have you found any great tricks to keeping your kids reading during their school vacation times?

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: