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.”

My Barefoot books website

You probably didn't know this, but I have a Barefoot Books website.  I signed up for it a few years ago, but have never sold a thing.  It's a darn good thing that it's free!  But I do love books! 

When I was about 4 years old, I was the youngest kid on the block.  All the "big" kids were in school all day every day.  But I didn't want to be the "baby".  In the apartment downstairs, there were two little girls who just finished first grade!  I remember their names were Tammy and Brenda.  They went to a private school so they were allowed to keep their books at the end of the year.  When they finished first grade, they gave me some of their reading books.  I remember paying very close attention to the segments on Sesame Street, The Letter People, and The Electric Company where the taught pronunciation.  I would then go haul myself into the bedroom and practice reading.  Finally one day, I came out of the room and told my mom I wanted to show her something.  Then I read her a complete story out of the book.  She was actually suprised and takes no credit for teaching me to read.

I started Kindergarten in 1979.   Back in the old days, kids didn't have to know much before entering Kindergarten.  So it was unusual for a kid to know how to read.  I remember they sent me to the first grade class at the beginning of the year and had me read to them.  Thinking back, I can't imagine why they had me do that.  It seems kind of strange now.  But I still remember standing at the front of the room and reading to these first graders who seemed so incredibly big and scary.  But I sucked it up and read my book.

I guess that's where my love of books began.  My favorite book was a book called Frisker.  Which was first published in 1956.  My mom has a cassette tape of me reading that book.  I hope to record my son reading his first book too.  I know that my mom and I both enjoyed listening to it when I got older.

When I was pregnant with my son, one of the first things that I wanted to do was start his book collection.  I knew right away that I wanted to try to pass along that same love of reading on to him.  And so far, it's working.  He's three years old and not yet reading, but he does enjoy his story time at night.  He usually sleeps with the books we read before bed.

I started my Barefoot books website shortly after my son was born.  They have some really great books.  It might be worth taking a peek at the website.  See if there is anything that might interest you or your child.

Click on the image below for a fun music video!