Last week we ventured to the library and signed up for the summer reading program. It's a bingo-card looking system - 10 books/activities completed earns them a free book; 20 completions earns them a library tote bag. This year I had one reader and two pre-readers sign up and those little girls were VERY excited to get their own forms this year. (I think this is B's first time to participate.)
When I was looking over their sheets and seeing what we needed to check off, N1's form said that she had to read something from her "school summer reading list." Well, since we homeschool, we don't have a reading list per se, although I always have books that I'm suggesting or stacking beside her bed to tempt her. : ) After seeing that on her library sheet, though, it made me realize that I can assign her some summer reading with a few little incentives on the home front. (I'm sure this is something that lots of other folks have thought of, but it was kind of a "duh" moment for me.) : )
So, last night ... because it was late and I was having a good time arranging my Sharpies ... I made her a little summer reading notice that was placed conveniently by her chair at breakfast this morning.
I realize that the first sentence "You must read two books to read from the list..." is not correct. Oops. Luckily Mama is not being graded. : )
The fine print is as follows:
- She has to read two books from the list. She can pick the books from five choices I gave her.
- The reading of a 3rd book gets her an ice cream date with Dad or Mom, her choice.
- The reading of a 4th book earns her $20 in new book money which she can either spend and an actual, real-live bookstore, real books via Amazon, or digital books via Amazon to be put on my Kindle. (Note: we are considering long and hard about buying her a Kindle for her birthday this year. She has proven to be responsible and really enjoys using mine when I will give it up.)
- The reading all five books earns her a super secret prize (as yet to be determined). : )
The books I chose were mostly just fun books. She worked hard this year and my goal in this is to challenge her to go beyond the easy chapter books and pick up one that is a little bit bigger. She has proven to me that she can read and understand a little older book but feel "safer" with the easier (dare I say fluffier) stories. I want to push her past that and challenge her and also introduce her to some great books.
The books I went with were:
- The Reluctant Dragon
by Kenneth Grahame
- The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
by Julie Andrews Edwards (highly recommended to me by my friend Dana and since we LOVED Mandy
, this seemed a no-brainer).
- Little Town on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder (this is where we have ended our read-alouds of this series)
- Five Children and It
by E. Nesbit
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Does your family participate in summer reading programs or do you make your own? I'm excited about her little challenge and am curious to see how much this motivates her. I'll try and remember to report back in a few months! Happy reading!
Our public library has a reading program and so does our local Barnes and Noble. Both of my girls are signed up for both programs. I expect to see lots of reading out of my two this summer.
ReplyDeleteAs my grandmother use to say: When they're reading, you know exactly where they are and what they are doing. Don't make them stop.
Do you know how much I love this? A whole lot! Si much, in fact, that I might have to borrow some variation of if. Love the picture, too!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the crazy typos. iPod again.
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea! And I love the "super secret prize" incentive. That definitely would have motivated me to read as a child. My approach this summer is not nearly as fun or creative. My tween is required to read at least one hour per day (books of his choice, for the most part), I'm reading aloud to both kids at lunch time, I read to the 5yr-old at bedtime, and I'll be doing a "book club" with the tween later this summer. I may have to add some fun rewards as part of the plan.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY!!!! I think she will LOVE whangdoodle and I KNOW she will love Charlie! GREAT CHOICES ALL (Little town is one of my fave Little House books)
ReplyDeleteI love the way our library does the program! My Favorite Boy has gotten into a nonfiction rut (sports books and more sports books), and this helps him branch out. Maybe we'll run into you sometime this summer!
ReplyDelete