Do you encourage your children to read? I hope you do! Encouraging our children to read is one of the very best things we can do as parents. With this in mind, we are bringing you some great summer reading tips and some FREE book giveaways! One of our lucky readers will win a set of 3 books for their kids! Here’s the scoop…
Dr. Tim Shanahan, past president of the International Reading Association, and author of Treasures, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s best selling elementary reading program, has offered some fabulous summer reading tips for your family! Macmillan/McGraw-Hill has generously offered to give away a series of 3 Treasures books.
Here are Dr. Tim Shanahan’s family reading tips for you:
1. Read Together! Summer usually allows families to spend more time together. This is a great opportunity to read more with your kids to help keep their skills fresh. Children learn a lot when you read to them. Even if your child can read by himself, take turns reading to each other, and be sure to talk about what you are reading. Ask questions, answer questions and explore the ideas together.
2. Share the Experience. As kids get older, help them find books, magazines, or newspaper articles that they would enjoy reading. Take the time to read them too so you can discuss them. The point is to share the reading experience.
3. Ask Questions. Even if you are not reading the same books they are, talk to your children about what they are reading. Ask them questions such as what happened in the story or what might happen next, who is their favorite character, or who is the villain. This builds summarization and recall skills, and your interest helps increase their interest.
4. Designate a Reading Spot. Create a summer reading nook or spot in your home where your child can read. Make sure there is good light and comfortable seating and try to set aside one TV/video-game-free night per week for family reading. Reading night can be a special snack night, too. There is nothing better than reading with a big bowl of popcorn!
6. Mix it up. Don’t just focus on storybooks. Kids often prefer to read about fact rather than fiction, including books and articles about the environment, animals, current events, sports, and other topics. Talk to them about what they like and help them find reading materials that match those interests.
Are you already doing some of this with your children? If not, the time to start is NOW! And to help you get started, we’re giving away a series of 3 readers from the Treasures program to one of YOU!
To find out more about Treasures, visit Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Treasures website here. These books are age specific, and the winner will be able to choose the age s/he wants. Please note you must have a valid U.S. address to enter this giveaway.
How to enter this giveaway:
It’s easy, first visit Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Treasures website here and look around the site. Then post a comment here on this blog post with a reading tip of your own! Be sure to leave a way we can contact you in case you win! I recommend you leave your email address in the following format, something like: eadflmomma (AT) gmail (DOT) com
The contest will end on Thursday, June 25, at 9 pm Central Time. Any comments after that time will not be counted. We will use random.org to choose the winner. The winner will be announced no later than Friday, June 26. We will contact the winner, and if we do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, we will select a new winner. Good luck, and let’s get reading!!!
Want 6 free bucks? Check this out!
Makaela says
We end our day with a book. Our 17 month old loves this and loves her books! It is a good chance for calming down and cuddles. Thanks for the opportunity!
teverheart2002 (at) yahoo (dot) com
supplymt26 says
We make reading a game. We change our voice to the characters of the book and pretend we're the characters to add activity to the reading experience. My son loves when I made up stories of my own. He gives me ideas and I tell him the story with the added effects.
Thanks!
supplymt20 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Kristi says
My 4 and 6 year old love the movie Night at the Museum. We get biography books about each of the historical people in the movie each time we go to the library. They love reading more about a character in a movie. I love that they are learning history without realizing it.
Lauren S. says
I let my 4 year old (who cannot yet read) "read" books to his 19 month old brother. Its fun to see the stories he makes up based on the pictures in the book.
nscandurro[at]cox[dot]net
Maria says
Hit two birds with one stone- My son loved "reading" the Disney movies storybooks on the potty. These have lots and lots of movie scenes and just enough words to keep his attention and give enough time to hopefully get a BM in the meantime:)
Bovee Brigade says
We take advantage of the local library's summer reading program. They have some fun activities and have greta incentives for reading books.
thebovees49091 at yahoo dot com
Anonymous says
We try to attend story time at the library each week. That combines the fun of stories with songs and a craft. Then, we stop by the children's section to get 2 new books for reading at home.
m-sallen (at) jun (dot) com
Renee says
My little girl is 3 months old, and I have just begun a daily reading time with her.
rcheek(at) gmail (dot)com
Frugalista Mama says
Visit the library regularly for a great selection 🙂
Danielle says
I create a list of summer activities that are tied to reading. Some are to create a timeline for a book you read, or a movie-style poster for another book. The kids are given treats for completing the activities.
ldsmom2201 at yahoo dot com
http://juanshappywife.blogspot.com
http://homeschoolunitstudies.blogspot.com
Mama Hen says
We join the library's summer reading program.
clarksrfun(at)gmail(dot)com
Emily C says
I never tell my 2 year old that we can't read his favorite book again. Even if it's 15 times in a row. 🙂
Nichole says
We just joined the summer reading program at the local public library Thanks for the chance!
nandjdonabar AT yahoo DOT com
One Frugal Girl says
Read to children as often as you possibly can. Those children that love to hear you read books will be the same ones that love to read when they get older.
Anna says
I have found that it helps to give the (younger) child a book of their own to hold/chew on:) while I read a different book. That way, they really feel like they are getting involved…and it allows me to read through the story with minimal interruptions, so they can hear the whole thing!!!! Thanks for the opportunity to win some books:)
annacfrye at yahoo dot com
Shanna says
When my children were born, I began reading to them, from day one! We always had storytime at bedtime. Now my children love to read without prompting from me! Also, our local library features a very popular Summer Reading program that is themed and has some terrific prizes when points are built up.
Marie says
I encourage both kids to take part in the summer reading programs and then we read each night (as we do year round) — each kid picks a book and I do also and then we all read together. I think it's important that reading be a family event!
[email protected]
[email protected] says
I have three children ages 4, 2 and 1 1/2. I started reading to them while pregnant and continue to read to them daily. We enjoy regular trips to the library and spend alot of "imagination" time together making up pretend stories.
[email protected]
Angel says
My two daughters and I sit together on my bed before bedtime and read a book together. One chooses one night and the other daughter chooses the next night. It gives us mommy/daughter time as well as a relaxing way to wind down before bed.
Angela
mommyangelz-x2(at)yahoo(dot)com
Darth Mama says
We have stories with supper — my son picks out a book for me to read to both my kids at dinner time.