08 Jul Still Time to Read, Read, Read
What? It’s July already? How did we miss June? We think it was all the packing & going we did–Lisa to Costa Rica and Columbia (she’ll head off to China and London before the end of the summer) and Janelle to Japan, Sweden, and France. But now we’re settled in and ready to get lazy in the hammock with a stack of good books.
What are your kids doing these days? Some, we’re sure, love summer because it means they can read whatever they want for hours at a time. Some kids are more reluctant to pick up a book, though, so once again, we’re giving you a quick rundown of summer reading programs that provide a bit of incentive. Your avid readers don’t need any reward, but they’ll be tickled pick with it anyway. Your less than avid readers? Well, every little bit helps. Here’s a quick list of programs:
Pack-n-Go Girls Reading Adventure:
Once again the reading program we’re most excited about this summer is our own Pack-n-Go Girls Reading Adventure, which will take you around the world. When you sign up, we’ll send you a printable Passport to Adventure. Then, each week for five weeks we’ll send you an email with a list of book suggestions related to a Pack-n-Go Girls country: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Mexico, and Thailand. You’ll also get links to more information about the country, as well as a fun learning activity, recipe, craft, and coloring page. At the end of the week, we’ll send you the passport stamp of the featured country to put into your passport. Collect all five passport stamps and download our printable coloring and activity book for free!
This year, we have audio books to add to the options. Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost, Mystery of the Secret Room, Mystery at the Christmas Market, and Mystery of the Thief in the Night are all available and are Whispersynced to the ebook version. It’s a great way for reluctant readers to build their skills without the stress of decoding every word.
Reading Rewards:
Create your own reading program with your own incentives at Reading Rewards. Kids can log the books they’re reading, take quizzes, and even write reviews. It’s like Goodreads for kids, but with lots of added support for teachers and parents.
Barnes & Noble:
With Barnes & Noble’s summer reading program, kids need to read at least eight books and record them in a reading journal along with their favorite part of each book. Their reward is a free book from a predetermined list at a Barnes & Noble store.
Scholastic Reading Program:
In the Scholastic Reading Program, kids can enter individually and contribute to the number of minutes read this summer. The program started May 8, and already kids have racked up over 55,000,000 minutes of reading. Young readers love contributing to something so big. They can unlock activities to earn rewards and sign up to win prizes, as well. Schools can sign up and get resources too. There’s also a link for parents to download free activities and tips.
Chuck E. Cheese:
Reading earns kids free tokens every time they read at Chuck E. Cheese. Just print out the bookmarks which are each worth ten free tokens and bring it in to claim your free tokens.
Half Price Books:
Half Price Books reading program asks kids to read fifteen minutes a day and keep a reading log. After reading 300 minutes, kids can take their log into a Half Price store and get $5.00 in credit.
Amazon:
If you have a Kindle, Amazon always has a long list of free books. You don’t need to keep a list or write a report. You only need to hit the download button. But you knew that already, didn’t you?
Public Library:
And, of course, check out your local public library. They all have a summer reading program to get kids in the library and get them reading. If you’re new to your area, here’s a great site to find the closest library to you.
Whatever you do, we hope you–and your kids–have a fun summer of turning pages and discovering new worlds.