One of the best things about summer is all the relaxing hours available for leisurely activities like reading. For a reluctant reader, though, they would rather be doing anything but settling down with a good book. So what can parents do to make sure that their children spend enough time reading? Here are a few tips for motivating your child to read more this summer that will make all the difference.
Motivating Your Child to Read More This Summer
Create a Fun Space
A reading nook with comfy chairs and pillows can help to lure kids in to cozy up and get lost in the pages of a book. An indoor hammock or pop-up tent can be wonderful places to relax and escape the distractions and busy-ness of the rest of the house while reading. Keep a great stack of books and rotate them out frequently so that there is something fresh and new to explore.
Utilize Summer Reading Programs
Check with your local library or your child’s school to see what kind of summer reading programs they offer. Many of these programs offer prizes and parties for reaching reading goals, giving kids a fun reason to stick their nose in a book and just read in their spare time.
Unplug in the Car
Kids are a captive audience in the car and they often get bored and turn to electronics. Set a new rule that no electronics are allowed in the car and replace them with books! Whether you’re just running errands around town or going on a cross-country road trip, the time will be better spent with a book than the latest game or app.
Make Reading a Family Affair
Whether you choose a book to read aloud as a family or simply have a set time each night to turn off the TV and each of you escapes with your own reading selection, making reading a priority for the whole family can help to motivate your kids to read more. Not only that, it’ll also give you a little time to enjoy a great story! (Check out “Eight Amazing Book Series to Read with Your Kids This Summer” for ideas!)
Don’t Limit to Traditional Books
If your typical chapter and picture books aren’t holding your child’s interest no matter how hard you try, start thinking outside the box. Consider comic books or joke books or help them find a blog that they would enjoy reading. The material and medium aren’t as important as simply getting in the time to read.
Pair Books and Movies
Introduce books to your child that has a movie associated. For instance, each time they finish a title in the Harry Potter series, let them watch the associated movie as a reward at the end. There are hundreds of great book and movie pairings and having a movie night to celebrate the completion of a book is loads of fun for everyone in the family.
Help your child get excited and motivated to read more this summer by incorporating some of these tips. Before long, they’ll have a stack of completed titles and their love of reading will start to grow and blossom.
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