Summer Reading Programs

I have a different opinion when it comes to summer reading programs. First of all, I think they are great! Really, I do! Especially for those kids who need an incentive to read during the summer. But the last couple of years, I have sort of changed my opinion about them when it comes to my own kids and how I want to motivate them to read over the summer.

The problem is that my children do not need an incentive to read all summer! Sometimes I have to make Megan put down a book and get her outside to exercise a little!!!  But I still would like to have them working towards something during the summer months.

A couple of years ago, I signed my kids up for the summer reading program at the library.  We read and recorded every book we went through during the summer. By the time the summer was over, Megan had read over 60 books (they were probably not chapter books like they were now), but still it was a significant number.  The problem was that after 30 books, you got the same prize over and over again! This wasn't any fun, plus at that time, it was a sheet of coupons to places we never went OR we had to spend an extra $50 for us to get in so the kids could use their free coupon they had  earned (free entrance to CoCo Keys or a free baseball ticket).

Ever since that summer, I haven't signed my kids up at the library. As much as I want to, they remember those coupon sheets and didn't think it was very fun.  As summer was approaching this year, I started seeing some different summer reading programs around the area. One that stuck out to me was the one offered at Half Price Book Stores.  Here, the students get a $5 gift card for every 300 minutes you read in June and July.  I would much rather them get money to spend on books than a prize from the library, which are badges this year!

We stumbled another reading program last week.  We were over at Barnes and Nobles and an employee came up to me and started to tell me about their summer reading program.  The kids had to read 8 books, log them, bring their sheet back in, and then they would receive a new book.  Guess what we did today? Took our log sheets back in! Courtney sat in the kitchen after lunch and read 8 books in a row and wrote them all down. Megan wrote down all the books she has read in the last week.  We went back to Barnes and Nobles today and received their free book! It was not such a hard challenge!

Again, I think reading programs are great, especially for those kids who need motivation to keep reading all summer, but I really think you just need to find the right one that will work with your children!  I also needed one that will challenge my kids a little bit.  Reading eight books was not a challenge, but I know to some kids, it is.