Spring Break:
Ideas To Get Kids Reading On Vacation
One of the great perks of being a kid is getting a week off school in the spring. While they get time to play, it's a parent's job to make sure that play is structured and the kids use their time constructively. And because we want them to use their brains to be better students, incorporating reading into their spring breaks kills two birds with one stone. Here are a few ideas to get your kids reading on vacation.
Work It Into Your Schedule
Whether the family is on a beach or you're all taking in the sun in the backyard, you have the luxury of setting up a daily ritual of eating, playing, and being a tourist. Try working reading into the schedule. Kids need structure -- setting aside time for 20 pages or 20 minutes, your kids might get a few more chapters in than if they read at will. Make it an after-lunch activity or weave it into their bedtime routine to make it a habit they can carry into the summer.
Helping Hands
It can be tough for adults to find books we want to read, so it's doubly difficult for children to find something to read. Try helping them figure out the stories they like to read. Take them to the library to browse the titles and covers to figure out what they like. If you prefer the more digital approach, Goodreads has lists for just about every children's genre to help you come up with a few good books your kids will want to read.
Motivating Activities
Once your kids start reading a book, you don't want them to get distracted by the toy box. That sometimes requires activities to make the reading interactive which means you have to get involved.
Games
Games do a lot for reading comprehension. At the end of each reading period, play a few rounds of hangman using situations, characters, and objects from the reading as your focus. You can switch off being the leader and the guesser to give your kids a chance to come up with their own ideas from the book. If you have trouble motivating them, try using rewards for winning.
Character Conversation
Reading is much more fun when you can talk about the characters in the story. When you're done with reading time, have your kids discuss what's happening with the characters and talk about what motivates them to act the way they do. They don't have to sit still to talk about it -- make it part of your dinner conversation or talk about it while they're putting on their NFL hoodies before bed or doing chores.
Highs & Lows
Once they make a good dent in the story, have them start telling you their favorite parts. Maybe it was that trip to Egypt in an underground railroad, or perhaps it was finding the pirate treasure in the cave by the beach, or maybe it was unlocking that jar full of wishes -- whatever it was, create a conversation around it to get them excited to keep reading throughout the vacation.
Forecasting
When they reach the halfway point in their books, have them try to predict what's going to happen in the story. This encourages them to really understand the story -- but if they need a little motivation to get to the encouragement, make it interesting with rewards. If they guess correctly what's going to happen, tell them you'll take them out for pizza. If they don't guess correctly, take them out for ice cream as a consolation prize. It's just another way to nudge them to the end of the book.
The Lakeside Collection has dozens of ideas to make this spring break fun and purposeful! Whether you are curating a garden, finding the perfect shams for your guest bedroom, or keeping your kids brains working this summer, shop Lakeside for a variety of products at unbeatable prices.
