Summer reading programs are a great way to keep your kids reading this Summer. When you sign up for a reading program, you offer them an incentive to read during months when they’re not thinking about school. One of my children happens to be an avid reader, but not all kids are. These summer reading programs offer fun rewards, including gift cards, free books, and event tickets.
Any school-aged child (Grades 1-6) can read 8 book of their choosing. Record your child’s reading on the program reading journal and take it into your local Barnes & Noble store. (You can choose English or Spanish for the journal) They’ll get a FREE book of their choosing off of the free book list.
Half Price Books’ offers gift cards to children (all ages, up to 17) who read 300 minutes in June and July. Download and print their Feed Your Brain reading journal and take it into the store on or before August 29th. The reward is a $10 HPB gift card for each month. So, make sure you use your printing journal for each month. This program page also offers other fun free printables, including a coloring page and a certificate of completion.
Scholastic
Scholastic offers a different type of summer reading challenge. On their Read-A-Palooza website, your child logs how many minutes they read and with each accomplishment, they’ll get to unlock fun videos, book excerpts and other rewards. But by logging in their reading minutes, they’ll be added to a collective number of minutes along with everyone who is participating. Scholastic then donates books to the United Way, based on the collective minutes read across the country. Pretty cool, huh? Scholastic’s summer reading program is a way to share with others while your kids are having fun with the reading program. You can set up an account and learn more about it here.
We’re in the Dallas, TX area and our public library system offers event tickets, free books, and valuable coupons for completing reading challenges. We’ve participated for two summers, and last year my children read enough over the summer to get tickets to Six Flags. Check out your local library and see if they have a summer reading program. Added bonus: the public library is great indoor fun on those super hot days.
Author Cristee cook 