• Read different authors, genres (nonfiction, adventure, fiction, science fiction, poetry, cartoons, comics and mystery) topics, and themes.
• Include books with unforgettable characters.
• Allow children to choose their own books to allow them to pursue their own interests.
• For good readers, choose books with a reading level that will challenge and stimulate.
• For reluctant readers, choose books they can read without difficulty yet keep their interest.
• For early or beginning readers choose books that you can read together.
• Include picture books, even for older children.

 Reading With Your Children

Learning to read takes practice. Loving to read takes enthusiasm! Read with your child on a regular basis to create a sense of enjoyment, wonder, and even a passion for reading.

For struggling and/or early readers, start with short time periods and with picture books that they choose.

Part of getting a relunct reader reading is to know what s/he likes to read. Reading a variety of genres exposes your child to books that s/he may not have selected on his/her own.

Reading to your child encourages and fosters creative thinking skills, promotes reading as an enjoyable activity, provides opportunities for him/her to grow and develop mentally, gives him/her an appreciation and respect for books, enhances language and vocabulary development, and produces quality family time.

A few practical ways you can increase any children's read skills and love of books:

• Give your children something to look forward to by reading to them every day and at the same time if possible.
• Have your children read out loud to you.
• Listen carefully and make sure to praise your children's reading.
• Take turns reading orally -- you read a section, then have your children read the next section.
• Even after your child can read on his own, keep reading to him so he can enjoy stories and books that interest him but are too hard for him to read by hisself.
• Visit the public library often. Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs with easy goals.
• Visit book stores. Barnes and Noble offers a reading incentive every summer.  
• Ask questions (who were the main characters, what happened, what part of the book did they like best) but don't drill them too much on content. Summer reading should foster reading for pleasure.
• Provide incentives and set an example by reading yourself.
  

Below are Summer Reading Log files and a Lions on the Loose file.  Make sure you read this summer!