Summer Reading, Some-R-Not

CINCINNATI - SUMMER READING – SOME-R-NOT

So, it’s August, school is literally around the corner and the kids are freaking out, which doesn’t help me (or you), mom. They haven’t read their summer reading. You gotta be kidding me.

All summer you bring it up. “How’s the summer reading going? “, you ask with trepidation. “Good,” they grunt (if you have teenagers, anyway). Then the melt down starts with 2 weeks to go until the school bell rings.

So, this was the case last week when one of the kids in my household realized he’d fallen behind the eight ball. The reading wasn’t quite done. (that’s being generous). And, papers were due (by the way, when did THIS trend start? Reading is one thing. Writing 12-page papers due BEFORE school starts? That’s criminal).

And here’s the kicker. We were on vacation. So, the poor kid (she says with tongue in cheek) spent the better part of the beach vacation beached next to a laptop in the air conditioning. Writing.

Which brings me to the question, how do you motivate your kids to do their schoolwork in the summertime?

In our house, we have 3 children who love to read and one who mostly does it because he has to. (go figure, he’s the one using vacation to catch up on homework) The picture attached to this post is of the three who can nestle their noses in a book and live there for the better part of a day. It was taken, in fact, on a summer day that wasn’t scorching hot. They were required to do an activity outside, and this was their choice. A towel and a good book. I like that.

But we all know that kids are like snowflakes and no two are alike. However, they have similar tendencies. We also know thanks to research, that if children don’t read over the summer, they can fall behind their peers. If your child isn’t a strong reader, this is even more important.

So, I found these tips online to help get/keep your kids reading this summer. (thank you Reading Is Fundamental):
1. Combine activities with books. If you’re going to the beach or a baseball game suggest a book on that topic.
2. Visit the library. Heck, have your kids get a library card! It was one of my kids’ favorite things to do the minute they could write their name. It was a rite of passage and they cherish having “something of my own”. Plus, the variety can be enticing to a hesitant reader.
3. Lead by example. Read while around your children. It doesn’t have to be Tolstoy. It can be People Magazine. It’s okay. More than okay. It’s a great idea. Oh, and read to them when you can.
4. Talk it up. Talk to your children about books. Tell them about your favorites or ones that were helpful to you.
5. Help kids find time to read. And plan it out. Make it an appointment. 20 minutes a day. Before bedtime. Whatever it may be, help them understand this is just going to be part of their lives (and remember, YOU are in charge). You don’t have to be rigid, especially in summertime, but make sure they know you aren’t going to let this slide.

So, these tips are exhaustive, but they’re, I think, a good start and baseline. At the end of the day, I think we all want our children to enjoy reading. I know I do. I love to read. So, set the standard early and remember, if they don’t’ get it done at home, there’s always the family vacation.

Got any good tips? Help me (and the rest of us) out. Give ‘em up to us all by commenting. Many thanks in advance… and keep reading!