How do you get your kids to embrace summer reading?

My three girls are avid readers.  It wasn't always that way for all three.  There was a time when one of them was frustrated with reading because of the choices she was given in school.  In 5th grade she was involved in an "AR", advanced reading program at her school.  This type of program gauges a child's reading level and selects book for them to choose from in their level.  Then they take test on the book which helps to determine their reading/comprehension level. This particular girl struggled with the reading because she didn't like the choices given.  She was right on target with her age yet she wasn't "into" the book choices.  When that school year was over and we decided to homeschool, we struggled with getting her to read again.  We found that this type of program took the LOVE out of reading. 

What did we do to get her to embrace reading? We spent time at the library and book stores browsing around at all the potential subjects she could explore.  At first it would involve pulling off books and just looking through the pages.  Eventually she found a subject that drew her interest.  Those trips became a joy for her.  She couldn't wait to check out the next book.  We also found that magazines were a huge help, too. The short stories with great photos were enough to catch her attention. 


The key to embrace reading is to take your children to the library and let them explore all the treasures that awaits them!  This young teen reads all the time now. She even has a "list" of books to read!

 I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book.  We are going to donate our book to our local library. We hope to read the set of books, too! This would be great for our small library. For more information on how you can participate, click here

About I Can Read!:

The number one beginner reader series in the country, I Can Read!, is the open door to a child’s adventure with the most beloved characters in the history of children’s literature. It is the premiere and proven series for encouraging young readers from early reading together to advanced reading alone. The series debuted in 1957 with the introduction of a familiar favorite, Little Bear. It was one of the first ever easy-to-read books that children could read independently, and has been in print ever since. Now with more than 6 million I Can Read! books sold, including 200 titles, I Can Read! books is the best series to take children step by step into the wonderful world of reading on their own. Check them out for more reading activities!