Summer Book Clubs

As I discussed in an earlier blog post, reading is probably one of the most important things you can do with your child. For some children the activity of reading is something they love and look forward to, and then there are others that look at read as a chore and resist it with all their might. I suggest creating a club with your child, even for the children that enjoy it. Here are some tips on how to create a summer book club for your family and friends.

Family Summer Book Club
- Each family member goes to the library and selects one book.
- Then set aside 15-20 minutes each day where the entire family reads their books quietly on their own. (For children that cannot read yet, have them look at pictures of a book of their choice). It's important for your children to see their parent read for enjoyment
- Pick one night a week where you all sit together, eat some yummy snacks and talk about your books. Each family member can tell about their favorite parts, favorite characters and what the liked about their books.

Friend Summer Book Club
This is similar to a family book club, however you do it with your friends instead.
- Take your child and his or her friends to the library and them each all pick out their own book OR agree on the same book to read
- Have each parent agree to have their child read a specific set of pages each week.
- Pick one night a week where your child and his or her friends get together, eat some yummy snacks and talk about the books. Discuss characters, interesting parts, questions and whether they enjoyed it or not.
- Parents do not need to facilitate the discussion. It should be something the children do on their own and practice their independence.