How To Motivate Your Kids To Read Over the Summer

We are lucky to have children who both love to read. They read every day, and we go through books very quickly. The key is that we keep them motivated and they don’t see reading as a chore. Instead, they genuinely enjoy it and love to get new books.

Below, I am sharing some tips to help you motivate and encourage your child to keep up their reading habits during the summer break.

1. Let them pick: This one is essential! Let them choose what they would like to read. Whenever we go to the library, I sit back and let them pick the books they want to take home, same goes whenever we are buying new books. You can always help guide their decision and present specific options, but ultimately they should be the ones picking the book.
2. Read to your child: We have been reading to the boys every night since they were toddlers. This is part of our bedtime routine, and we all enjoy it. Start as young as possible, and reading will just be part of their routine. They will grow up learning to love and appreciate books.
3. Lead by example: Do you read at home? Do your children see you reading? Children learn by watching what you do, and if they see reading as part of your everyday life, it is likely that they will make it part of their own lives.
4. Get a Library Card and take them to the Library: Both of our boys have library cards, and we go to the library weekly. They go to the kids’ section and pick up a handful of new books to read each week. We always have new books to read, and they can’t get bored of reading the same thing over and over. The library is free, and there are so many book choices!
5. Set up reading time at home: During the summer, I usually give the boys some scheduled reading time, we all take a break from the sun and come inside to sit and read and have quiet time. It is part of our routine, and we all enjoy the opportunity to slow down and enjoy a good book.