Keep them reading this summer!

Well, summer break is almost here and many school kids will have 2 months off. One way to keep their brains functioning during this period is by encouraging them to read.  And the best part about summer is that they can read what ever they want!!!  Not a text book for one of the their courses, not an assigned novel selected by their English or French (or Spanish, etc) teacher.  They can, and you should encourage them to, read anything they want!

By letting them choose what they want,  it will be of specific and particular interest to them, and it won't be considered a chore!  Let them read magazines, graphic novels, an informational book on digital photography perhaps, something they can use on their summer break. 

There are so many genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Mystery, Humour.  There are children's story books and novels, poetry books, "YA" (young adult) fiction, classics, non-fiction/informational books.  What kind of hobbies do they enjoy?  There is probably a book about that!

Encourage them to read a book that has been made into a movie, when they are done you can rent or borrow the movie so they can watch the audio visual version.  Ask them which one they like better and why?  Have them explain a couple of the major differences between the two versions.

Kids can sign up for local summer reading programs.  Check out your local library and see what they have to offer.  There is usually a theme and participants can win prizes for signing up and keeping track of their reading.  My children did this for many years and loved it.  They enjoyed reaching the milestones set out by the library, and at the end of the summer getting a small prize (usually a book).  It kept them busy, and they had fun doing it!

Our students here at St. Monica had a visit in June by one of the Calgary Public Library staff, who told them all about the summer reading program they are offering, and about all the things you can do at, and borrow from the Calgary Public Library.  Now's the time to take them to the public library and get them to sign up for the summer reading program, and have them check out all the great things the library has to offer! For more information click on the caption below.


Calgary Summer Reading Program