Fun And Learning Through Summer Reading Programs

Summer is fast approaching and children will be out of school looking for fun activities to do. There are many summer reading programs available to children either to encourage reading, prepare them to begin reading or expand on their current interests. These programs are fun, educational and rewarding on many levels.

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American Girl Summer Reading Program

American Girl is holding a special in-store event to encourage little girls to read!  Girls who participate in this event will participate in a craft activity which consists of decorating a craft card about their favorite books to hang on the American Girl summer reading wall for all to see.  FREE to participate and open to girls ages 8 and up.  Please check the American Girl website for dates and store information.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

For children up to twelve years of age, Barnes and Noble has a fantastic summer reading program where children read eight books over the course of the summer months. Once they have completed all the reading and journal entries, they are rewarded with a book from a list at a Barnes and Noble store. The reading journal is kept by the child with the name of the book, author, school that the child attends along with a recommendation of why and to whom the book is recommended. Once the journal is all filled out, simply bring it into any Barnes and Nobel store to choose the book of choice. The list of books that they get to choose from is geared towards the grade level of the child.

Books-A-Million Summer Reading Program with Junie B. Jones

Books-A-Million has launched its Summer Reading Program with the Junie B. Jones series. Children who read at least 4 books will be rewarded with a free Juni B. Jones backpack. The program begins on. Children who wish to participate should head to their nearest Books-A-Million store to pick up a Junie B. checklist.

Chuck E. Cheese Reading Rewards

Chuck E. Cheese's is offering an incentive for any child who reads for two consecutive weeks.  To claim your reward, just print this calendar and mark off each day that your child reads.  When all of the squares have been marked, bring the calendar in to your local Chuck E. Cheese's and your child will receive 10 free tokens.

TD Bank Summer Reading Program 

In an effort to encourage children to read and to promote financial literacy, TD Bank is also hosting a summer reading program. TD Bank's Summer Reading Program rewards children who read at least 10 books during the summer by offering a $10 deposit into a new or existing Young Saver account.

For more information, visit www.tdbank.com/summerreading.

Scholastic Summer Challenge

The Scholastic Summer Challenge is a free summer reading program which attempts to stop the “Summer Slide,” which is the loss of learning and reading skills that usually occurs during the summer, and inspires kids to read more books this summer.

Join the Challenge! To learn more, visit www.scholastic.com/summer.

Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Summer Break Reading Challenge Sweepstakes

To be eligible for the sweepstakes, children must read at least 5 books and submit the Summer Break Reading Challenge Form for a chance to win. This program is geared towards children in grades kindergarten through sixth grade only through the school they attend. Children who are homeschooled can also participate.

Sylvan Book Adventure Reading Motivation Program

Book Adventure is a free program that was created to get kids motivated to read.  It is geared towards children in Kindergarten through the 8th grade. In this program, children create their own booklists from more than 6000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes about the books they've read, and earn points and prizes.

Summer Reading Programs at Your Local Library

Local libraries are a wonderful source for many reading programs. During the summer months many offer programs for children that are reading below their grade level. Volunteers meet with children encouraging them to read through games and activities. Various libraries have programs for children that begin in June with the children logging how many hours were spent reading. At the end of the program in August, the children will win cool prizes and books for their accomplishments.

Reading Programs at Local Colleges

Various Universities and Colleges have summer reading programs for all ages. Held in a classroom with a qualified teacher there to assist, encourage and provide stimulating activities as well as assigning enjoyable books to read at home between lessons.

Reading programs are an excellent resource for parents and children of all ages wanting to explore new books, make new friends, learn about exciting new places and much more. The more reading people do increases vocabulary, builds imaginations and open doors to a successful future. Studies show that the more a child reads the better he or she does throughout school.