How to Keep Your Child Reading This Summer

Summer is here and school will soon be out if not already out for lots of students. One of the most important things you can do for your child is to keep them reading. Reading is so important for a child's mind. It expands their vocabulary, knowledge of the world, helps them become better writers, and keeps them at if not beyond their reading level. Reading can take them to another time and place and expand their creativity and what better place to do this than your public library.

Public libraries are an asset for your children during the summer months. Almost all public libraries have put together summer reading programs for every school age child. It doesn't matter is they are in kindergarten or high school; there is a reading program for them.

These reading programs are motivators for reading and most offer special incentives and special events to participate in. They give the child a collection of items like, bookmarkers, and a record log to keep track of the tittles of the books they read, the reading list for their appropriate age and reading level, pencils, and some even give out plastic water bottles. Each week the child returns to the library for new books that are listed on their reading list and can receive additional incentives for reading a certain number of books so far.

If you don't have a library card it's easy to obtain one. All you have to do is show proof of your address, mainly your driver's license, and your approved. Libraries mainly publish their list in May before school is out. Lots of times the school district will receive the list so it can be distributed to the students. Also many libraries publish a reading list on the Internet for your convenience but in order for your child to receive the incentives, you have to go to the library to sign up with the reading program.

You do have to know your child's reading level and you can talk to their teacher before school is out to receive this information. You also should ask their teacher if there is anything that they think your child should work on to improve their reading skills and recommended books to read. Every child reads at different levels no matter what their age is.

Once you arrive at the library, the library staff will be able to assist you in suggesting books basted on your child's reading level and interests. If you would like to get an idea of what some of the recommended books are, you can use the Internet. There are several good Web sites that have reading list available for each grade level.

The best one that I would recommend is the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council. It is broken down into three sections: Beginning and Young Readers, Intermediate Readers, and Advanced Readers. This helped my daughter out a lot; her reading level was way beyond her grade level and it was hard to find the appropriate books for her to read.

One of the best ways to keep your child reading is to find a series of books that they like. Libraries have series books from "Arthur" to "Nancy Drew. One thing about series books is that you might not find the next book on the library shelf so an alternative is to buy it in paperback at your local paperback bookstore or online; these paperbacks are cheap.

If you child isn't old enough to read or is just starting out, reading to them will also keep them excited about books. Even older children get tired of reading to themselves and enjoy every now-and-then to be read too. This improves their listening and vocabulary skills. Don't forget the special interest that your child might enjoy like, science, bugs, animals, weather, live of a particular person and the list goes on and on. My sons read every book he could get his hands on about weather and now will-soon be a meteorologist.

Don't forget the books that teach 'how to do' things like crafts, cooking, gardening, drawing, etc. Children love hands on projects where they can see their creation.

Have fun with your child this summer in the big world of books and remember reading can take you places from now to eternity.