Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    Back to School Reading Motivation

    Bianca SchulzeBy Bianca Schulze3 Mins Read Quest for Literacy
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Carol Montrose, for The Children’s Book Review
    Published: August 5, 2010

    Photo credit: NickSAs a kid, the one time of year you look most forward to (aside from Christmas and your own birthday) is summer vacation. Slip-N-Slides, staying up late, family vacations, and the best, time away from school. As the days begin to shorten and the leaves begin to fall, the summer, before you know it, comes to a halting end. Then the drudge sets in as you prepare for the dreaded “first day,” and the only fun left is shopping for school supplies, putting together your own personalized three-ring binder with pencil pouch, and knowing you’ll get to see all your school friends again. But what can you, as a parent, do to insure that your children are more than ready and prepared for their return to academia? How can you motivate your children to read during summer vacation, that time in which they want nothing to do with books and school?

    With the recent flux and fad of book-based, kid-friendly movies, why not make a game out of upcoming, popular summer and fall blockbusters? Movies like Harry Potter and the Twilight series have already propelled kids into challenging themselves with the 500 page novellas. Why not tap into that? Encourage your children to read the books before you allow them to watch the movies, suggesting (which is more often true than not) that the books are far more entertaining and imaginative than the movies could ever be. And movies such as Avatar, The Last Airbender lend themselves very well to the graphic-novel genre; albeit, graphic novels are not the sort of books they’ll be reading in school, they still provide your children with enough text to read to keep their minds stimulated and challenge their reading comprehension.

    Why not also turn reading into a game, which, if they win, garners them a reward? Offer to take them out to their favorite local eatery, ice cream shop, or theme park, if they can finish any book they choose to read fun. And that’s the key: making reading fun. These aren’t bribes, they are incentives. Extra privileges for those children who choose to take the extra time to nurture their intellect. Anything that’s a chore, or seems like homework, your child will not, willingly, want to do. But if you walk them into the book store and allow them to choose any book they wish, reading will begin to seem like more of an extra-curricular activity than an assignment. And the more they begin to enjoy reading, the more emotionally and psychologically ready they will feel upon reaching that daunting “first day” of school.

    Why not form a book club with your children? Let them to choose a book they’re interested in, and read it along with them. This way, it’s not only “monkey see, monkey do,” allowing you to positively reinforce reading as an important mental exercise, but you can also monitor their reading comprehension. Discussing the book with them as you both read through it will help foster your child’s reading comprehension and will facilitate a stronger, and more open, bond between you and your child.

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    ABCmouse 30-Day Trial + Starter Pack! 728x90
    Carol Montrose
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleAmigas Fifteen Candles
    Next Article Author Showcase: The Boy Who Wouldn’t Sit Still
    Bianca Schulze
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • The Children’s Book Holiday Gift Guide | 2023
    • Brian Thalhammer Talks About Jessica Warrior: The Heartbeat Hero
    • The Best Children and Family Listening Audiobooks of 2023
    • 7 Beautiful Children’s Books about Lucky Charms and Making Wishes
    • A Stone Sat Still, by Brendan Wenzel | Book Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Book Shop
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2023 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.