DIY Summer Reading Program

 During the summer it’s easy to fall into the trap of laziness. Sleeping in because you have nowhere to be, lounging around with games, toys, electronics and not getting much done. I admit that the first week of summer I let all these behaviors slide because I was ready for the break too, but after that it’s time to get back to work.

During summer children’s skills can slip if they don’t work to keep them up. My husband and I decided that we needed to do all we could to help our children continue practicing math, writing and reading so that when school starts they could pick up right where they left off. I bought my kids some workbooks that bridge the gap to their next grade level. The workbooks are great for writing and mathematics but reading is also important. I want my kids to read easy books for enjoyment and some books that challenge them a tad.

I love that Disney Story Central combines my kids favorite characters with fun stories they will be excited to read. Disney Story Central is an app available in the iTunes store. It has the largest collection of Disney digital stories, featuring a wide array of Disney stories and characters. The cross-platform experience is available via iPhone and iPad app, tablet-optimized website and Video on Demand (AT&T U-Verse).

Disney Story Central is a free app with a couple different ways to use it. You can purchase tokens which can be redeemed for stories, or you can purchase a subscription service. I started with 10 tokens for my kids to pick out the books they wanted to download but the selection was limited. The subscription service is $7.99 a month and is an awesome deal because your kids will have unlimited access to the expansive library.

You can set up profiles for each member of your family using Disney Story Central. They will each have their own bookshelf with their own books. They can earn stars, ranks and trophies the more they read. It really gets the kids excited about continuing to read.

Another way to get your kids excited about reading is to have a summer reading program set up. I know some libraries or book stores have their own programs, but here is a simple DIY Summer Reading Program. I thought of two different ways to run your own program and so I’ve provided printables for both ways. Either click the picture or the linked words to print the page.

The first way to is have each child earn a prize for every 5 books they read. They can check off a box representing each book they read. You can start small with prizes and get bigger the more books they read. I have my kids give input as to what they want the “big” prize to be at the end of summer if they read the designated number of books. Simply print out as many copies of the summer reading program to get to the desired number of books.

The second way to run your DIY Summer Reading Program is to have your children read 5 books and pick one of those books for a small book report. Reading is wonderful but reading comprehension is vital. Having a small book report be one of the requirements for prizes will help you ensure that they are comprehending the books they are reading. For your littles ones that aren’t old enough to write and are having the book read to them by an older child or an adult, there is a box for them to draw a picture of their favorite story. This picture counts as their report and that child then qualifies for the prize.

These are just a couple of simple yet fun ways to encourage reading throughout the summer. The prize is a great way to motivate those reluctant readers and entice them to want to participate. Disney Story Central is a fun way to provide books with characters they love that they will want to read.

I recommend you have your kids participate in Disney Story Central’s ‘Mid-Summer Light Reads’ Campaign – promoting weekly Disney reading themes — for a chance to unlock free books and enter the sweepstakes! Launching on June 11, the campaign will run through August 13.

What are your other ways to keep kids reading during the summer?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.