Five Great Online Summer Reading Programs
One of the best and simplest ways to prevent your child’s reading proficiency levels from declining this summer is to establish a daily reading habit. And with the relaxed pace of summer, your child might be happy to hear that he or she is free to choose whatever books sound the most interesting—a welcome change from the school year, which is undoubtedly busy with required school reading.
Want to give your child a nudge in the right direction? Why not enroll him or her in a summer reading program? Summer reading programs offer a fun way for children to keep track of their reading and rewards for completing reading milestones. While your local library or bookstore may have a reading program, there are also a number of excellent online options as well—and even better, all are free.
Here are five online summer reading programs for you to explore:
Scholastic’s Summer Challenge ∙
The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge runs May 4 to September 4, 2015. Once you register your child, you will receive book lists, activities and tips and your child can earn weekly virtual badges and free book excerpts for meeting certain milestones. The program also features a sweepstakes with a range of prizes. www.scholastic.com/summer
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading ∙
Barnes & Noble provides a reading journal in which your child records the books he or she reads and a little about the book. The program runs from May 19, 2015 to September 17, 2015. After finishing eight books, a child can bring the reading journal into a Barnes & Noble store and redeem it for a free book. www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading
Pizza Hut Book It Summer Program ∙
Pizza Hut’s summer reading program (called Spark Your Greatness) asks children to read books and record them on the program website. Participants are then entered into a sweepstakes for prizes. In addition, the program has activity calendars and games. Spark Your Greatness runs June 1, 2015 to August 15, 2015. www.bookitprogram.com/summer
Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program
∙ Half Price Books—the independent new and used bookstore chain in 16 states—has a summer program in which children ages 14 and under are challenged to read for 15 minutes a day in June and July. Once they reach 300 minutes, they can turn in their completed reading log to earn $5 in “bookworm bucks,” redeemable in the Half Price Books marketplace. Top reader awards are given out each month, too. www.hpb.com/fyb
Education.com “Do-It-Yourself” Summer Reading Camp ∙
In cooperation with PBS Kids, Education.com offers printable worksheets for a 10-week reading camp. Each week has a theme with all kinds of activities and crafts, and the website also offers summer reading worksheets and activities (customizable by your child’s grade). www.education.com/summer-reading
A summer reading program is a great way to incentivize your child to stick with reading all summer long. These five programs all strive to make reading enjoyable, reward progress and encourage children to commit to reading as a hobby of choice. The summer is upon us—get started now, and help your child start off on the right foot for a fun-filled summer of learning and exploration.
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