Summer Reading Programs

It is almost that time again... for swim lessons, summer camps, popsicles and slip-n-slides, backyard water balloon fights, the ice cream truck jingling its familiar tune... and yes, summer reading programs!

Our local library has a great summer reading program with a fun Finishers Party mid-August. My son even won a Razor scooter one year in the raffle drawing which was pretty exciting. I liked it better when we had to sign up at the library and pick up a packet with the sheets to record minutes. Now it is all on-line, which is fine and super-easy, but it is less tangible for the kids. I think I will make a separate sheet this year and stick it on the fridge so we can better track our progress.

You can search the National Library Systems here to find a library in your area.

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The iVillage PBS KIDS Summer Reading Community Challenge - Fight the summer slide and keep your child reading and learning all summer long with our free six-week program. Sign up now and starting June 18, you’ll get daily emails with literacy-building tips and activities from experts at PBS KIDS and Scholastic. You’ll also get book suggestions and discounts, free downloads of PBS KIDS shows and a daily chance to win $1,000 and other great prizes. Help your child discover the joys of reading! (taken from their website)

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Barnes and Noble also has a summer reading program where kids can read eight books, record them on a printable reading log, and earn a free book. Easy Peasy!

Barnes and Noble stores also host story times for toddlers twice a week. Enter your zip code here to get a list of your local store events.

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During the school year my kids get reading certificates, good for a free personal pan pizza, from Pizza Hut when they meet their reading goal each month. I didn't realize that the Pizza Hut reading program Book It! continued into the summer. Kids who read 5 books can enter for a chance to win a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" prize package. You can print out an entry form here, and they must be mailed and received by August 15th, 2012.

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The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge lets kids log their minutes for a chance to win cool prizes. Parents can track their kids' progress online or on their phone, as well as get tips and booklists to make summer reading a breeze.

The Scholastic website is a wealth of information any time of the year. Check it out!

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Sylvan Learning's Book Adventure is a fun, free way to motivate your child to read! Kids in grades K-8 can find a book, take quizzes (over 8,000 book titles and quizzes available) on what they've read, and earn prizes for their reading success. Details and a list of prizes can be found here.

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More Reading Challenges:

Chuck E Cheese - Kids can earn 10 free tokens by reading everyday for two weeks, recording it on a printable chart and turning it in with a food purchase. (They actually have printable charts for a wide range of rewardable activities - from household chores to "no nose picking" to completing homework each day, so there is no reason to ever NOT earn 10 free tokens when going to Chuck E Cheese!) 

Pottery Barn Kids - PBK Summer Reading Challenge - Select a reading list to follow, read and track your child's progress, reward your reading champion by entering to win a backpack full of books, and stop by your local store to receive a free book.

Half Price Books - Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program - Read 300 minutes and turn in a completed reading log to earn a $5 HPB Back-to-School Bucks reading reward for the month.

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Other Helpful reading aides!

Scholastic Reading Timer (free app) For iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android.

The Soar with Reading site was developed to keep kids reading! You'll find fun reading activities provided by PBS KIDS® and helpful reading tips for children of all reading levels.                       

Starfall.com opened in September of 2002 as a free public service to teach children to read with phonics. Our systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice, is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD, ELL, ESL). Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children. (taken from their website)

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My question for you is this. If your child reads a book do you let him record the book/minutes for all the reading programs, or does each book/number of minutes only count towards one of the reading programs at a time? Happy reading!