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Home › Articles › Your Children › By the Book

By the Book

Get Your Child Reading This Summer

By Heather V. Long

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"There are so many benefits of reading together, but I think the greatest is the connection that comes from the shared interest and seeing that connection change and grow through the years," says Haapoja. "I'm thrilled when my 5-year-old wants me to read him a story, when my 8-year-old shares her excitement at finishing a chapter book and when my teenagers say, 'Mom, you've got to read this book! It's great!' We may be going in five different directions most of the time, but our shared love of reading keeps us all connected in a very important way."

"Our kids enjoy mysteries. They seem to prefer series to individual books because they get to know the characters and the settings," says Tim Bete of Beavercreek, Ohio, author of the Where I Live column. "I allow them to pick books within the series, and we always read just before bed and sometimes during the day, especially when it's raining. Reading with your children always opens up discussions. We talk about the books, what the characters did and why they did it. Reading provides opportunities for me to comment on the good and bad behavior of the characters, and it also provides an opportunity for my kids to say what they might have done in a similar situation."

In the end, the benefits of a literary bond between parent and child are endless. This is a bond that matures with the child as the parent progresses from reading to them, with them and finally, just reading by them and sharing favorite titles and authors. "One of the things that parents need to do is to not get discouraged," says Maxson. "Their children will like some books and not like others. Constantly offer new things. And it's up to us, the parents, to find those new things and utilize this positive parenting tool."

5 Ways to Encourage Reading This Summer

  • Harry Potter – Harry Potter is the hottest selling book in children's literature and there is nothing like capturing the imagination with magic and friendship, not to mention the battle between good and evil.
  • Identify interests your child might have. Planning a trip this summer? Pick up literature on an area you are going to and encourage your child explore the options with you. That way you can plan the trip together. For those hard-to-intrigue children, find something they like to watch on television or play outside and take the nonfiction route at first. You might also check out the series books and see if you can locate a set of characters they enjoy, whether it is Encyclopedia Brown or Amelia Bedelia.
  • For preschoolers and kindergarten children, plan an outing to the bookstore. Explore the children's section and encourage them to play not only with the items, but also the books. Check out the illustrations, and see if anything catches their fancy. Also, check out the local library for reading times. Often there are summer children's programs.
  • Create your own book together. Use materials like crayons, pencils and construction paper. Help your child print the words or write them yourself; make up squiggles and pictures that tell the tale and read it together. It's an accomplishment they can be proud of and may help you, the parent, learn more about what they like.
  • For older children, check out the Caldecott Award and Newberry Award winning book titles. Maybe you'll find one that as a child you enjoyed, and you can share it with your children.

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