Five Summer Programs to Help Parents Motivate Kids to Read

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StudyDog has tips for parents to keep kids reading through the summer months.

Although many of these programs offer some kind of tangible reward, one of the best rewards is simply having a parent or other important adult in a child’s life cheering them on as they work toward their reading goals.

Los Altos Hills, Calif. (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

Experts at StudyDog say that creating a summer reading program or participating in a community program outside of school is one of the best ways for children to gain reading skills.

“Reading programs can help motivate children to work toward reading goals through a variety of incentives,” said Deme Clainos, a spokesman for StudyDog, an online reading system for pre-kindergarten through third grade.

Click here to see how StudyDog's website shows parents ways to motivate kids to read when they are outside the classroom.

Here are five ideas to help parents encourage children to read this summer.

1.    Family or Neighborhood Book Club

Create a family book club or even extend it beyond the home to other parents and kids in the neighborhood. A book group with kids of all ages can be a great confidence booster for some children. Kids may ask questions, share their opinion and discuss their ideas. The book club should be fun and something they can look forward to attending throughout the month.

2.    Reward System

Positive reinforcement through a variety of rewards is one way to help jumpstart an interest in reading. This can be as simple as adding a sticker to a chart for every completed book. Beyond books, reading magazine articles or spending time using an online reading program like StudyDog should also be rewarded. Letting children select their own books and reading materials helps spark their interest and encourage them to reach their reading goals. According to Scholastic, 91 percent of kids are more likely to finish books they select themselves.

3.    Reading Contest

Build reading skills and some healthy competition among siblings or other kids by creating a reading contest. The child who spends the most time reading or finishes the most books or pages wins the grand prize. Points can be awarded in a variety of ways and tracked on a chart, reading log or through another system. Bonus points may be awarded for leading a discussion about what was read over dinner or another time when the family is together. Prizes could be presented weekly, monthly or over a longer period of time.

4.    Library Programs and Book Stores

Outside of the home many libraries offer reading programs during the summer months. The library will generally set a goal with the kids that sign up to read a certain number of books, with different rewards for completing them.

Book stores may also offer reading programs with different incentives. For example, Barnes & Noble offers a summer reading program where kids are awarded a free book when they read eight books.

5.    Online Resources

There are a variety of online reading programs that can also be followed by parents and children. PBS Kids Summer Reading Community and Scholastic both offer free summer reading challenges.

“Although many of these programs offer some kind of tangible reward, one of the best rewards is simply having a parent or other important adult in a child’s life cheering them on as they work toward their reading goals,” Clainos said.

About StudyDog

StudyDog is a proven leader in helping children quickly learn to read and has helped more than 2 million kids master the basics. The company creates interactive reading programs specially designed for early readers pre-kindergarten through first grade. What sets StudyDog apart from other learning programs is how StudyDog engages future readers as young as three years old. Similar reading software is able to engage older students who already know how to read. But StudyDog uses games and other features to connect with younger children who haven’t learned to read yet. StudyDog’s Adventures in Reading series is used in more than 3,000 schools nationwide. The lessons were designed to meet state early learning standards and the guidelines of the National Reading Panel. Founded in 2002, StudyDog programs have been used in schools for the past six years. For more information, visit http://www.studydog.com or call 1-866-643-4449.

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