The further we get into July the hotter it seems to get outside. My kids are not interested in playing out in the heat any longer and I don’t like the idea of them vegging out in front of the tv all day either. In fact I have removed the cable package and we now just get the local channels; that doesn’t stop the kids from trying to pop in a movie to keep them from being bored in this heat. Of course I can understand how they feel and don’t want to make them go outside either. I’ve let my kids know that movie time is limited and that the can start spending more time reading.
As you know from some previous posts our library has a summer reading program that they have been participating in; the program has actually now ended but I’ve started an incentive program of my own with them. They each have a set minimum amount of time which they are required to read each day after 15 days everyone who has met their minimum gets their choice of treat at the ice cream stand.
As temperatures soar during the summer, many people prefer to remain indoors in the cool air conditioning. Unfortunately, that means children and teens will be spending more time in front of a screen and less time using their minds. Encourage your children to plan for summertime reading to keep their minds sharp.
We continue to make a weekly trip to our library every Monday and since my daughter reads faster than everyone else she has the privilege of walking to the library on her own on Thursday to pick out more books. Darrell has difficulty reading and even though he is entering 7th grade in the fall he only reads at a 2nd grade reading level. One of things I did before I started taking the kids to the library this summer was to find out what sort of books he likes to read; once we went to the library I started looking up books with topics about the things he likes to read and made sure they were at his reading level. I also allow him to check out books that are below his reading level as a sort of incentive to read the books that he’s able to read.
Another incentive that my kids enjoy is that they are allowed to pick out 1 comic book to read each week. This is a good way to motivate a reluctant reader because the text is large, the sentences are short, and the full story isn’t very long. Since the pictures help tell the story they feel they are better able to read and understand the story.
Another thing we do is have a set time for reading every night. First of all we all sit and read to ourselves for a little bit and then I have one book that I read aloud to everyone. Lastly I have another book at everyone’s reading level that I have them read a couple pages from each night as well. They truly enjoy this reading time together and it really promotes my goal of family togetherness as well.
Hi,
I grew up as a reluctant reader. Now I write action-adventures & mysteries, especially for boys 8 and up, that kids hate to put down. My web site is at http://www.maxbooks.9k.com and my Books for Boys blog is at http://booksandboys.blogspot.com
Ranked by Accelerated Reader
Max Elliot Anderson
Read about my message to kids in a bottle: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/5/prweb983364.htm