This is a sponsored post about summer reading and the awesome The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ (powered by EVEREADY®) written by me for Scholastic! All opinion, and excitement about the program is my own, but not to worry I just know you are going to love the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ (powered by EVEREADY®) as much as I do, and your children will love it even more. It’s a great way to motivate them to get to reading this summer!
Summer reading, it’s no fun, but it could be! I know the last thing on my kids list for summer is reading. However, efforts should be made to keep kids reading in the summer to help them sustain their fabulous reading skills. It’s important children practice reading, and learn reading enjoyment.
There are so many benefits to reading, builds visualization, thinking, language abilities, and more. It’s our job as parents to help our children read during the summer, and even show them that reading can be fun, and enjoyable. Spending time with your child while they read will help them enjoy the experience more, because they are spending time with their parents, and it will help you better understand your child’s reading skills.
If your child has a hard time reading, it could be something deeper, and you cannot rely on the schools to notice these things. Teachers are put in a classroom with more than enough kids; it has to be hard to notice everything each one of them is doing. We found out Vayda needed glasses because we noticed her squinting when she read, and if she read for too long she would complain about her eyes hurting. Things she had told her teacher, but her teacher failed to communicate with us. We have to be involved and recognized signs if our children are having problems.
Summer Reading: 10 Tips To Get Your Child Reading This Summer
Summer reading is important for children, but so is being a child, and having fun. Try to make your child’s summer reading fun. Here are a few things we do to keep the kids reading during the summer, but still make things fun.
Read together
Everything is always more fun when you do it together, and I have noticed my kids try harder when we sit down, and read aloud together. Plus, it has helped Vayda learn words, without her needing to ask, or feel embarrassed because she will hear me say them.
Get out of the house
We try to get out of this house several times a week, and enjoy early morning reading outside before it gets hot. Just a chance of scenery can be helpful.
Lead
If you expect your children to enjoy reading they, need to see you read for enjoyment as well? I am going to be honest, reading is not my thing, I would rather be writing, but I make it a point to set aside a little reading time for mommy. I don’t watch TV, but if you watch TV consider turning it off for some reading time, and get dad on board. If they see you reading, they are more likely to enjoy it.
Let them choose
Let your child choose the book they want to read. They are going to choose a book that interests them, and that’s what you want. If they choose a book they are interested in, they are more likely to see the benefits of reading.
Visit the library
We visit the library weekly, and the kids choose a few books to bring home and read. It’s fun, now and then I make Vayda read her book by herself, and then report to me when she is finish so I can ask her about it. It allows her to feel independent, and tell me about the book before I read it.
Feel good
Never put your child down because they are not reading at a pace you feel is right for their age. Offer encouragement, as long as they are trying they deserve a pat on the back. If you notice them having issues.
Reward Board
Make a reward board or something where your child can see their progress and the reward once they reach it. I set up a weekly reading broad, and they are to read a certain amount. If they meet their reading goal, I take them to spend $5 on what they choose.
Books on CD
These are GREAT for car rides. The other day we did this for the first time, and Vayda really enjoyed it. She realized there are some great adventures you can go on when you read. I think she finally realized she needed to use her imagination while she read.
Let them read to a younger sibling
If possible, allow your child to read to their younger brother, sister, cousin, or friend. It’s a great way to let them feel older, and a little better about reading during the summer. Mattie comes and asks Vayda to read to her all the time now, and they have so much fun doing it together.
Be part of something
We recently started visiting Schoolastic.com, and it’s been GREAT not only for Vayda, but me as well. Right now Scholastic is having their Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ (powered by EVEREADY®), and it’s FREE! Let me give you all the details, because you will love it.
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ (powered by EVEREADY®)
The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ (powered by EVEREADY®) is an online reading program for children, and it is free. You can join today, and help set a new reading world record for the 2014 summer! The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ started on May 5th, and will end on September 5, 2014!
Kids can visits Scholastic.com to read and log their minutes reading all summer long. They can also enjoy fun weekly challenges to earn rewards, and help the best part is being part of setting a new world record!
When your child signs up, they do not need to give any personal information. They simply choose two things they enjoy, and they get an easy to remember user name. If they do not like it, they can choose again. Using the Scholastic website and Vayda being part of breaking a world challenge for summer reading has helped Vayda want to read. The other day she read for an enter hour, without anyone asking her to pick up a book or anything.
The Scholastic website is fun for kids. You will find books & authors, games, video, message boards, and more. Vayda’s favorite thing to do is get on and log her minutes. She loves watching the number go up, and knowing that she is helping break a world record is cool too. The videos are fun too, and Vayda really enjoys the INK SPOT, which has fun new posts added daily, today there was an exclusive Jessie preview and Vayda loved that.
Reading Under the Stars Kids Sweepstakes
In addition, when your child enters their reading minutes they can enter into the Reading under the Stars Kids Sweepstakes for a chance to win some awesome books! You cannot go wrong there, even more incentive to keep up the hard work.
Are you looking for new books for your child? Be sure to allow them to browse the books and authors section of the website. They can find books they like, Star Wars, Infinity Ring, Winds of Fire, Dear Dumb Diary, and tons more. If they are not, sure what book they want to read, have them browse by category – funny, graphic novels, historical, life, etc. Once they have found books they like they can read more about them, and even watch the video trailer on some, or they can find more books like the ones they picked. The best part, if the book is available on the Scholastic website they can read it from the tablet, or PC they are using the view the website.
Vayda has really started to get into the Dear Dum Diary books, it has helped her see that reading can be fun, and I find her reading more for the enjoyment now too! It’s been strange to see her walking around with a book in hand, but since starting the program she seems to have a book in her hand more and more each day. Being part of the Scholastic Summer Reading Program has been GREAT, and you can get your child involved FREE! Just visit their website at Scholastic.com and help your child get started. Remember, they are helping break a world record too!
What do you think about the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge™ (powered by EVEREADY®)? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on the challenge, and if your children will be joining Vayda to help break a new world record!
