Reading naturally is a great summertime activity regardless of age. In my last blog article, we looked at five book recommendations as well as the benefits of both reading and reading aloud. Today we are going to look at tips to incentivize summer reading.
Incentives for Reading
Incentives are effective ways to motivate people to do something that they are not necessarily motivated to do. They are often used to promote academic success. While many agree with William Hazlitt when he said, “Learning is its own exceeding great reward.” Many young people will not know that until they try.
Plus, with the attraction of the iPhone, iPad, gaming, streaming movies, and everything else that screams for our attention, incentives will help make sitting with a book an attractive option.
Personalized Rewards-
You know your budding reader best. What would he/she like? You could make brownie sundaes, do an art project, buy them a small gift, or do anything under the sun. Set benchmarks with small rewards as they read towards a larger prize. If you need ideas, click here.
Another idea is to allow children to read for thirty minutes after you put them to bed. They get to stay up later than normal, but only if they are reading. Of course, you can modify the amount of time per child. Older students might enjoy an hour of reading time.
Personalizing the incentives allows you to reward a child based on their ability. If the child struggles with reading, then you might want to reward them after a certain number of pages. On the other hand, an avid reader can be rewarded at the end of a book.
Book It! Program-
Pizza Hut is celebrating its Book It! program’s 40th anniversary. Participants earn certificates for reading that they can redeem for personal pan pizzas. Enrollment is open for Kindergarten through 6th grade students.
Model Being a Reader
“More is caught than taught.” The best way to teach your children the value of reading is to be a reader yourself. If you don’t know where to begin, start with the recommended books in Summer Reading Ideas, Part One. Even if you read them before, you might enjoy them even more the second or third time. Plus, the storyline can be fresh on your mind spurring on good discussions with your kids.
Library Visits
The Montgomery County Library is a great resource in our community. It not only has tons of books that you can check out, but the librarian can help guide you to different authors or genres as well as give their book recommendations. The local library also has a Summer Reading Program. It’s not too late to sign up.
Visiting the library was always something that I looked forward to as a child. My children also enjoyed perusing the aisles and checking out books that looked interesting. The library also has a great selection of audiobooks. These are perfect for summer road trips.
Summer reading can be incentivized in many ways—through personalized rewards, established programs, modeling, and library visits. Keep in mind that JK Rowling said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” Use this summer to find the right author, subject matter, or genre that will cultivate a love for reading.