My favourite part of the summer holiday is having time to relax with a good book. However, I know that for many children, reading slips down the agenda during the long break. Here are some suggestions of how to make reading an enjoyable part of summer for you and your children:
- Visit your local library for a wealth of resources (including audiobooks and ebooks). Children aged 4 to 11 can join in with the Summer Reading Challenge which this year has the theme, Gadgeteers. (https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/news/general/gadgeteers-intro)
- Have family reading time. Set aside one night per week where you spend 15 to 30 minutes reading together. This could be reading aloud and sharing the same book or simply reading alongside each other.
- Play book bingo https://www.booksfortopics.com/bingo. Your son may bring his completed bingo card to the library in September to claim a reward.
- Subscribe to a magazine or let your child choose a different one each week. The Beano is enduringly popular but there is a huge range available including Britannia Magazine, The Phoenix, National Geographic for Kids and many more.
- Make a reading scrapbook – simply use a blank notebook to produce drawings and doodles relating to a book they have read.
- Encourage your child to read and use “to do” books such as The Dangerous Book for Boys, a recipe book, Lego ideas book or something relating to your son’s favourite hobby.
- Enter The Week Junior Summer of Reading challenge to be in with a chance to win some fantastic prizes and find a booklist of recommended reads: https://theweekjunior.co.uk/summerofreading
Allow freedom of choice in your son’s reading and chat to him about what he has read. Be a reading role model and above all, have fun.
Happy Reading!
Mrs Ling
Aldwickbury School Librarian
