Girls love to read don’t they? I spent hours flipping through books when I was little, and never went on a road trip with the family without an Archie comic! We usually traveled with my BFF’s family and we would both read one on the way to our destination and then switch when we got there so we could have a new read for the trip home!
But boys are a whole other breed, my oldest loved books when he was very young, but around age 5 I could already see it fading and by age 6, he was giving up bedtime stories to play quietly on his bed. This is not okay, so I have been trying out a few different ways to try to keep that interest in reading alive and well in our all boy household!
3 Tips to Keep Your Boys Reading This Summer
Change the Routine
It’s pretty customary around here to share bedtime stories with the kids. This is a great way to wind down at the end of the day and signal bedtime, but don’t leave bedtime as the only time you are reading with your boys. If you are in a reading rut, break out of your routine! We still read at bed, but in the Summer months we like to change things up a bit! Boys love to be outside, so we bring an old blanket out and relax under a shade tree, read together in a hammock or even pile an inflatable pool full of pillows and blankets to make a fun and cozy reading spot outdoors! (when the pool is empty and dry of course!) On a recent long drive, I sat at the very back of the van with my oldest so we could read our chapter book together, he thought it was pretty special to have me all to himself and it was fun for me to have a different view at the back of the van instead of the front!
All Work and no Play is not the Way
My son just completed Grade One and every single night he had reading for homework. He’s not the strongest reader in the class and this became a source for tension as each night Dad or I had to sit down with him while we struggled through his reader. It was painful for everyone. Now that Summer is here, we want to keep him interested in books but not force him to hard. Last month he received a huge book filled with information on his favourite super heroes! Avengers The Ultimate Guide to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was perfect because it was reading that wasn’t a story and he could pick it up and put it down as often as he liked. DK Publishing has a variety of Character Encyclopedias such as Pixar Characters, Cars Characters, Star Wars and Harry Potter Lego Characters.
For the Summer, I let him take the back seat so we can get through some really interesting chapter books. He loves to take a break and let mom read to him and I love how excited he is at the end of a chapter, begging me to read more!
New is Interesting
When kids are young they can listen to the same books over and over and over again. But as they get older, to keep their interest it’s important to have a variety of good books on hand and to keep adding new ones into the mix. For early readers, it’s good to read books again and again until a book is mastered, but having a good selection of interesting books at their age level is best. During the Summer gets a break from homework, but we don’t want him losing skills he’s learned throughout the year. DK Publishing has a great selection of leveled readers for boys that are FAR more interesting than the ones he brings home from the school! They have all of his favourite topics to choose from: Sharks, Dinosaurs, Avengers, Star Wars……if those don’t keep my boy reading, nothing will! DK Publishing carries readers starting at the Pre-Level for learning to read, all the way to Level 4 – Proficient Readers.
Learn to Read, Read to Learn!
DK’s bestselling DK Readers are a multi-level reading program that allows beginning readers to progress from easy to follow stories with simple sentences to more sophisticated storylines and vocabulary. From science and nature to history and great Canadian subject matter like the polar bear crisis in Churchill, Manitoba and the dinosaur discoveries of Red Deer River Valley to adventures with Pokémon, Star Wars and the Marvel superheroes, there is something for readers of all levels here.
If you have a new reader in the house, keep a set of readers on hand in various levels so they can work on new skills and feel confident reading ones they have mastered. DK has so many great choices and when you buy 2 you can get one for FREE!
Visit DK Canada for a list of all the Readers available
Continuing reading has definitely been a struggle this summer with my little ones. I think I will definitely have to change the routine and take the books outside as that is where we spend the majority of our time. Thanks for the tips!
DK Canada is so cool and they have so many things for every reader. Those are some awesome reads for your boys, I’m sure they loved it! 🙂 Thanks for the tips to keep it fresh and interested, I’m gonna use em.
I think the key is to give them something that they’re interested in. Love the variety is “boy” books you have 🙂
Mixing it up is really great but you’re right, it has to be fun for them or they will grow to dislike it. Great tips!
It’s important that they read books that they like and are interested in. At school, book are chosen for them, so if he/she doesn’t like them, this can be difficult if your child struggles. He won’t be tempted to want to read the books. AS long as they read, that’s what is important. Comic books are great! I still read them and love Archie’s lol!
Oh, I love this! Reading is such an important part of growing up! So important to foster this in kids at a young age…and from the beginning! Love what you’re doing!