How do you get your kids to embrace summer reading?

This summer we have decided to participate in our local library's summer reading program.  The kids get a Treasure Map and get to fill in a circle for every 30 minutes of reading.  After four circles, they get to enter for a prize drawing.  I have found that my son is motivated by just filling in the circles and getting a sticker every time we go to the library to turn in our hours. 

Matthew's favorite books are the I Can Read books and other similar early reading books.   They are simple and include many of his favorite characters.  When we go to the library, I usually let him decide what books he wants to get and he almost always gets a few of the I Can Read books.  This week he is reading about SpiderMan and Scooby Doo.

Here are some of his favorite titles that we read over and over:

We have made it part of his bedtime routine to read books to him since he was an infant.  He doesn't like to go to bed without his storytime.  He will usually sleep with about 5 books every night.  And once he is in bed, he is allowed to look at his books for a while before going to sleep.

I have also started to incorporate other ways of learning to read.  One way is to involve him in things that are important to him.  For instance, he is allergic to eggs.  I have shown him where the ingredients are listed on food labels and began shoing him how to look for the work "egg" on the label.  If he sees the word "egg" then he will know that the food is not safe for him to eat.  I think it gives him a little more power over the situation and hope that it will also start to show him how reading in general can help him gain some power through knowledge.

By taking trips to the library, reading at bedtime, using Hooked on Phonics and providing additional reading toys, such as the Tag Reading System, Vtech Whiz Kid, Leapfrog Leapster, I am hoping to encourage a lifetime love of learning.  He's beginning to recognize words that are inmportant to him, like his own name and his favorite characters.  It's so amazing to watch him learn all these new things.  I am enjoying every second of it!

So I am curious, how do you get your kids to embrace summer reading?

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”