Summer Reading Program for Kids

I LOVE to read!

So, I am strongly in favor of activities that help KIDS learn to read and to keep their reading skills up over the summer months.

So!

This year marks the 22nd annual Summer Reading Program sponsored by Barns and Noble where kids can earn a free book. Their program is designed to reinforce learning and motivate kids to continue reading throughout the summer. Check it out here.

Kids earn a free book when they read 8 books over the summer. That means they have to read between 2-3 a month which should be pretty doable!

Barnes and Noble created a journal for your grandkids to keep track of their reading. Download it and print it up for them to use.

They also have a list of suggested books to help kids pick out something to read if they need ideas. The list is divided into age groups to make it easy to determine if the book is age appropriate.

Barnes and Noble also has a page where you can learn about other free things and activities to keep kids occupied during the summer like free movies, free bowling, free skating, free pencils and pencil case, and more. Check it all out so you can do this with your grandkids. Or share with them if they don’t live nearby.

A while back, I created a summer challenge free printable. To help your grandkids read those 8 books (and thereby get that free book), you could print it out and give to your grandkids. (Or, if your grandkids live far away, you could send them an electronic copy of it so they could print it out themselves)

My challenge has different ways or places that kids can read a book. For example, reading in a hut made out of blankets. Or during a rain storm. Or to a pet.

When a grandchild does that reading, she checks off the box on the sheet. Of course, if she had a ball doing one of the activities and wanted to repeat it, that would be wonderful! After all, the purpose is to have some fun while reading.

If you don’t like what I have on my free printable, you could create a list of things yourself. That way, you could personalize it for your grandchildren.

I’ve shared 12 tips for fostering a love of reading. It also has 34 favorite kids books that kids chose themselves. I also wrote about a father who had a son that struggled with reading. They spent time together on a site that helped his son really improve. If you have a grandchild that is struggling with reading, you might want to spend time with your grandchild on that site, too.

Here’s to a summer filled with reading!