Students work hard all year long to become better readers. However, with summer break approaching, all their hard work can go to waste from a motivation to not read. During the summer months, students can lose up to two full months of learning. That being said, you don’t want to force your student to read. As educators and parents, it is your job to ignite a love of reading. Instead of assigning books for them to read for the fall, encourage your kids to want to read. Make reading intriguing and fun by motivating your students to read all summer long! Here are a few tips to spark their interest.
Use Student Interests
The best way to motivate students to read is to give them something that is interesting to them. Tap into your student’s personalities and find out what they love. Whether it be movies, animals, superheroes, or mysteries, there is a book for that! If you’re a parent, bring your child to the library or a bookstore to pick out interesting new books. Bring them weekly if you can or go to yard sales and sort through books there! You can also organize a book swap in your neighborhood or with a group of your child’s friends. Sometimes other children’s interests can be a catalyst to inspire their friends to read.
Join a Summer Book Club
Public libraries have many wonderful summer reading programs your kids can join. Students will meet weekly with other students and librarians to discuss books, recommend new books, and share their love of reading. Some of these programs also have weekly check-ins where kids can earn prizes! They also have author events and other programs. All you need is a library card and your kids can take a weekly trip to hit the stacks at the library.
Model It
The best way to encourage your kids to read is to read yourself! Pull out a book, magazine, or newspaper instead of reaching for the remote when you have downtime. Talk about the great things you are reading. By sparking the discussion, your kids will be more apt to talk about the books they’re reading. If you both have time, read aloud to your child throughout the day. Make books part of your family routine and your kids will be motivated to read all the time!
Find Pockets of Time
Help your kids know that they can read anywhere and everywhere. Your kids have a lot going on in the summer. From sports, to camps, to play dates, to swimming, they might be tired after a long day. Encourage your kids to decompress by reading in the car to and from their events. You can also listen to audio books in the car, especially on long trips, to make the drive go by a log more quickly.
Set a Goal
Before summer begins, have your child set a goal for how many books they can read. By making it a game, children are really able to see what they are capable of. Their results will give them the confidence to reach higher goals. If you child doesn’t know where to start, check out the summer reading challenges at your local library or at Scholastic.com.
Summer Reading Program Shows
Books can transport readers to other times, places, and even different realities! Books can help you grow as a person – inspire you, challenge you, and educate you. In short, books are awesome! Of course, if you’re reading this webpage, you already know that!
I’m Cris Johnson, and I’m a library performer. I use magic, comedy, music, games, and audience interaction to hold the attention of any age group: kids, families, teens, young adults, and adults. While the majority of my library clients bring me in every year for Summer Reading Program, I also offer incredibly engaging presentations for other times of the year that are guaranteed to fill your library with patrons starving for books!