Traveling to remote destinations, exploring unknown lands, and saving the world may seem like an intense way to spend the summer. However, for avid readers, it’s just business as usual. Reading is an immersive experience that allows kids to explore ideas and experiences that they may never encounter in real life, and summer is the perfect opportunity to dive right in.
For some children, reading is always fun. Sadly, others don’t enjoy it. But whether your child loves reading or dreads it, there are ways to make it more enjoyable. These seven ideas can transform your child’s summer reading into an experience to remember.
Reading alone can get lonely, especially for extroverts. But if you join your child, you can help them along while enjoying some special one-on-one time. Even if you and your child want to read independently, reading your respective books together in the same room can seem a little more social.
A cozy reading space can give kids a place to get away from it all and focus on their books. And if that space is reserved exclusively for reading, they may be eager to pick up a book just so that they can hang out in their special space. Want to make the area even more appealing? Consider decorating with atmospheric lighting, like LED curtain lights.
When you read a book you like, sometimes you just need to talk about it. That’s why adult book clubs are popular, and that’s why you might want to start a virtual reading group for your child! Your child and their friends can read the same book at the same time and then meet up via video conference to discuss what they liked about the book, what confused them, and what they think the main characters should have done differently.
There are tons of summer reading programs that reward children for achieving their reading goals, and children can sign up for as many as they’d like. For instance, there are reading rewards programs through local libraries, Pizza Hut, Books-A-Million, Chuck E. Cheese, and more. External rewards might give kids the extra push they need to hit the books.
Kids get enough assignments in school that they probably don’t need more during the summer. Letting children decide for themselves what they feel like reading can help keep them motivated and even excited to read. Plus, exploring their interests now may give them a better idea of what subjects they may want to study more down the road.
Reading is often considered an indoor activity, but it doesn’t have to be! Enjoying a good book outside on a nice day can be the best of both worlds. Kids can enjoy fresh air and sunshine while exercising their imagination.
One of the fastest ways to zap the joy out of any activity it making participation a requirement. Think of it this way: spending a day binge-watching Netflix is fun under normal circumstances, but if you were told you had to watch all day, you’d probably feel trapped. The same is true of children and reading. If they feel like they have a choice in the matter, they may enjoy it. However, if they feel like they have to read, it just becomes another chore.
What do you do to stoke your child’s love of reading? Let us know in the comments section below!
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