Summer Reading Program 2008

Summer Reading Tips for Families

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Summer reading shouldn’t be a chore or a bore. To keep your children reading all summer long, keep books and magazines around the house. Suggest your child read something out loud while you fix dinner or fold clothes and visit the library to hear storytellers and select books that your child is interested in reading. Broward County Library also has literacy-based programs as well as other resources designed to help children and teens get reading and stay reading.

Parents and caretakers can …

• Read aloud together with your child every day. Take it outside and read at the beach, on the porch or at a park.
• Set a good example by letting your child see you reading.  
• Stock up on inexpensive books that can be exposed to the elements or swapped for other books at camp.
• Keep plenty of books and reading material around the house. Get your child a subscription to a magazine about a hobby that she/he loves – when a child receives a magazine in the mail with her name on the address label, this turns an ordinary magazine into something special. A magazine about something your child loves (soccer, baseball, sports, Pokemon, etc.) get your child excited about reading it.
• If your child sees a movie they really like, go to the library or bookstore and find a book about it. Disney, Rugrats, Scooby-Doo and Star Wars all have tie-in books, as do most old favorites. Ask your Youth Service librarian for suggestions.
• Entice your child with a riddle or joke book – have it handy in the car so when you run errands, you can ask your child to read you a joke or tell you a riddle.
• Read recipes or directions on a project. Go to a craft store or grab a cookbook and make something with your child. Have your child read the directions or recipe out loud.
• Household Reading Time: Have everyone in your home read or look at a book or magazine for a short period of time daily. If schedules don’t permit this, try to make it a regular practice at least four times a week.
• Don’t use reading as a punishment. Make sure its considered fun.
• Ask your child to help you find information about something you need to know. Going on vacation this summer? Plan a trip to the library so the two of you can research places and activities. If your child has a strong interest in vacation time (and who doesn’t?), they’ll turn into an instant private investigator. Broward County Library also has extensive databases for children that offer information on almost everything.
• Write a book together by asking your child to write a sentence or two at the end of each day. By the end of the summer the book will be finished! Use a spiral bound notebook or put separate pages together when the book is finished. Make a big deal about your child’s new “bestseller” - present it to the whole family and read it together.
• Read everywhere! In the item prices at the grocery store, roadside signs on a trip or sale notices at the mall. There’s a chance to read almost everywhere if you look for it.

Children can …

• Go somewhere new – the place where you read a book can make the story even more meaningful.
• Read “around” the house – see how much you can read without opening a book. Read newspapers, magazines, webs sites, cereal boxes, toothpaste labels, catalogues or the mail! Words to read are everywhere – you just have to look!
• Take a trip without leaving your home – if you’re going on a summer vacation, why not read all about the place before you leave?
• Keep a reading journal and write about the books you read. Use it to track your reading progress, make notes about favorite books or even to make book recommendations to your friends.
• Start a book club with your friends. Just agree to read the same book, then set aside some time to talk about what you read.
• Find a fun series of books by an author you know or enjoy. By the end of the summer you may know the characters as well as you know your friends!
• Read books from A to Z. Don’t know where to start with your summer reading? Why not start with an author whose name starts with an A? Use the summer to work your way through the alphabet.