June 2, 2011

Summer Reading Charts 2011

I love summer reading!  I have fond memories growing up of summer trips to the library, finding a shady spot outside to read, or spending hours in my room with a good book and a bag of candy (bad, I know, but that's how it is).  I don't remember if we had reading charts every summer growing up, but I do remember one summer when my mom was handing out prizes to Emily and Greg (my older siblings) for reading and her telling me that I was too little.  Oh, the pain!  Emily got a calligraphy set, and I don't think I even knew what that was, but it was big and I didn't get one.  I apologize to my mother that I don't remember if she did reading charts any of the other years, but that's the memory that stuck with me.  (And now you also know why my handwriting is not as nice as my sister's.)

Anyhoo, I really like making summer reading charts for our kids. Last year we had game board type charts, and this year, well, I don't know what to call it.  I guess it's kind of a "pick your prize" game.  Let me show you what I did.




First, I went to the local parent-teacher store and bought 3 packs of summer themed cut-outs.




I then printed up summer reading coupons that can be turned in for 50 or 100 points on their myjobchart.com accounts, ice cream, a prize from a prize basket, or a new book.  I made eight 50 point coupons, seven 100 point coupons, 6 ice creams, 3 new books, and 6 prizes from the prize basket for each child.



I folded the coupons and taped them on the front of the cut-outs. I made 30 for each child.



I taped the cut-outs on to the wall in our hallway and put the child's initial on the back so they could see which ones were their's to choose from.



I made a beach scene on the opposite side of the hallway that they can put the cut-out on after they pull the coupon off.

Each time a child finishes a book, they get to choose one of the cut-outs that has their initial on it, take off the coupon, and put it by their figure on the other wall.  The goal is to fill up the whole scene by the end of the summer.  I don't even know if they'll all fit, but it should be fun.  For Maren, a book has to be 150 pages to count, Joshua's have to be at least 60, and Christopher just has to read a bob book to me or do a reading activity.

The kids are really excited to start reading.  Maren told me that she gets a funny feeling in her tummy every time she walks by it and she just wants to start now.  I think it will do a good job motivating the kids to read. Maren doesn't really need help in that department, but Joshua does, and Christopher is just starting to read the Bob books, so he needs some motivation to persevere through each book.

With Maren, because she already reads so much, I'm going to write different genres or specific books on the back of her cut-outs that she must read to get that coupon to help her branch out from the fantasy books.  I'll have her read a couple biography, poetry, history, and contemporary realistc fiction books this summer.

I wish I could sit and read a hundred books this summer, but unfortunately that's not going to happen. Maren once told me "Mom, I'm sorry that I get to sit here and read so much and you just have to work".  Yup.  I'm sorry too.  Enjoy it while you can little girl.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great motivation! I have been thinking of ideas for weeks!

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  2. This blog gives a lot of evidence to support the conclusion that you are an awesome mom.

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  3. What a great idea!!! I homeschool so I think I might do this for the whole year.

    Thank you for sharing!!

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  4. I am impressed. I thought I would just go to the local library and get the around the world charts and do the summer reading in the friend. I guess there is always lots more one can do.

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  5. Mom says: I made a lot of charts, but can't remember if there were reading charts. I don't think you needed any motivation to read!

    Very cute idea! You are a great mom.

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