Summer reading? For adults, a lovely luxury on the beach where you can’t wait to dive into your long-awaited page-turner. For kids? Given the choice between reading and teeth pulling, they’ll always choose teeth. So how do we get our kids to read during the summer? Especially these last weeks before school kicks into high gear. How do we gently yank them off their electronic playgrounds to spend a few moments a day actually enjoying a book?
Carew Papritz, award-winning author of the bestselling inspirational book, The Legacy Letters, has found some innovative ways to “trick” your kids into reading these last dog days of summer.
* Get your kids a magazine subscription! Let your kids pick out an age appropriate magazine and sign up for a monthly subscription. They will be excited and anxious waiting for it to come. After all, kids love getting mail!
* Create a backseat “E-Free Zone” and stock it with books and magazines. Maybe on long road trips you carve out a time in which your kids just read. With younger kids, play games in the car on that long summer road trip! Read road signs, restaurant names, etc. when you drive past them.
* Add a bonus book to your back-to-school shopping! Is your kid excited about their new backpack or school clothes? Add to the excitement with taking your child to an actual bookstore to pick out a new book of their own to start the new school year.
* Remember your local library? They are not ruins from the past. They’re still great sources to get your kids inspired to read. I remember my parents taking me to the library at least once a month. It was really fun getting to browse through the book shelves and take home a stack of books.
* How about a book and movie? Pick out a book that goes with a movie. Let them read the book first and watch the movie afterwards! Then ask the great universal question of which was better—the book or the movie? You’ll be sure to get some great responses!
* Don’t forget the most reliable classic entertainment of all. Read to your kids every night and more importantly engage your kids while you’re reading! Don't just read out loud, ask questions during story time and have them read it back to you if they are able.
But it’s Carew’s unique one-of-a-kind summer activity for kids using YouTube that has parents and kids talking. So you’re asking yourself, “Why would I want my kids to watch YouTube to get them to read?”
Carew takes his love of the outdoors and his passion for reading and puts the two together in his “I Love to Read” videos. These short and fun video adventures take place while on horseback
and on the top of volcanoes, while climbing Mayan temples and exploring Scottish castles, and even while downhill skiing and river rafting.
What’s great about the videos is how easily it sparks a discussion about what this author is doing and why. Not only does Carew “read” his book in different locations throughout the world, he also reads while trying out different professions such as a cowboy, firefighter, or a jet pilot. Parents can talk about geography, art, jobs, and reading and writing. Carew wants kids to be curious, asking questions about all the things they can grow up to be—and still love reading! Go to the “CarewTube” channel today and check out another way to get your kids excited about reading! http://bit.ly/CarewTube
By Carew Papritz—Author of the Award-Winning Inspirational Book, The Legacy Letter
Great post!
ReplyDeleteThe habit of reading is fast dying in the Gen next...the habit gas to be inculcated at a very young age and kids should understand that reading is what matters...
ReplyDeleteI don't have any children, but I'll definitely be sending this post to a few friends. Thanks!
ReplyDelete