I got some really smart feedback from reader Jennifer about our recent post on ways to keep your kids busy during summer vacation. Her ideas were so great, I just had to share them with you.
Here are three more ways Jenne keeps her 10-year-old daughter reading over the summer:
1) This summer we decided to create our own Summer Reading Program, rather than join the one our library is doing (although that’s another great thing to do).
My daughter loves the Harry Potter books, so I assigned each book in the series (except the first one, which everyone knows inside and out) a two week period. At the end of the two weeks, after she and I have both read the book, we will have a quiz about it (there are about 9,000 of them that are easily found online, but here’s a good one to start) and maybe rent the movie, too.
This makes our reading a bit more directed, knowing we’ll be testing our knowledge and talking about the differences between the book and the movie.
2) We also decided to do a “Battle of the Books”. Do you remember that from grade school? It’s where several people read the same list of books and then, on a specific day, get together and break into teams, and answer questions on the books. Points are tallied and prizes given to the team who knows the books best.
My mother was my grade school librarian, and the “Battle of the Books” Queen. Since her birthday is in September, and our family is a big bunch of readers, my daughter and I decided that at Grandma’s birthday, we will hold our family’s first Battle of the Books.
On Father’s Day, we will give everyone the list of books (mostly chosen from the fabulous Children’s Notable List. Everyone has to come up with one question from each of the 12 books. These questions will form our Battle Quiz. It’s funny that my daughter, the youngest family member by far (she’s the only kid!) is confident she’ll be on the winning team!
3) We love to go to bookstores, but that can get spendy fast. The Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program offers $3 gift cards for their store *every week* to kids 14 and under who read at least 15 minutes a day. This is a great alternative to buying full-priced items and helps kids feel like they’re earning their own books. Half Price Books also provides another fabulously resource-rich suggested reading list.
Thanks for sharing, Jenne! Reading is such a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon with the kids.
Please keep your ideas coming. We Penelopes need all the strategies we can get our hands on!
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My kids are still quite young (3 & 1), so I plan on using books as a launching point for different activities. For example, we’ll read A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats then make cards to send to the grandparents. Or, Birds by Kevin Henkes and make bird feeders or do some bird watching. If my kids were older, it would be a blast to have them big out a favorite picture book and create a play from it. They could make the sets, costumes and even write the play then perform it for Mom & Dad.
These are some great ideas!! I am tucking them away for when my kids learn to read
Fantastic suggestions ! Only one of my kids is reading right now (only 6) but these are great tips for parents, thanks for sharing !
Kate
Your site has been mentioned in my forum as a recommended reading. Im glad I passed by to see it.
Your article is very good yet little short. I hope you next articles could be little more elaborate that this one. Still good job.