But these are not the only programs offering free books. Barnes & Noble is offering a free book to children who complete the Summer Reading Imagination’s Destination program. The program is simple to do and free for anyone. Here is how to earn your free book.

Earning a Free Book from Barnes & Noble

Step 1: Visit Barnes & Noble to download and print the Reading Journal.

Step 2: Have your child read any 8 books and record them in the Reading Journal.

Step 3: Include the Title and the Author in the Reading Journal and a short statement to whom you would recommend to read each book and why.

Step 4: Fill in the information on the Journal (Student Name, school, grade, etc.).

Step 5: Take the completed Reading Journal to any Barnes & Noble store between May 24 and September 6 to receive one of the free books listed on the Reading Journal.

It’s that simple! This program encourages your child to keep reading throughout the summer and provides them with another book to continue reading into the next school year. Reading during the summer months can help children maintain or advance their current literacy skills and helps them to retain many of the new skills they learned during the previous school year. The Barnes & Noble site also offers parent activity kits and free educator kits to assist in literacy programs.

Do you have any suggestions to encourage your child to read during the summer? What programs are you using as incentives for summer reading? Feel free to post questions or comments

Tying Your Shoes

Step 1: After the shoe is laced properly, put the shoe on and pull the laces tightly until the shoe is firmly on the foot.

Step 2: With the laces held firmly, cross the laces.

Step 3: Take the top lace and pull it through the hole created by the crossed laces and the top of the shoe.

Step 4: Pull the laces tight.

Step 5: Create a loop with the left lace (a.k.a. a Bunny Ear) close to the top of the shoe.

Step 6: While holding the bunny ear in your left hand, circle it with the right lace.

Step 7: Take the right lace you just circled and place it through the tiny opening made by the same lace.

NOTE: Use your index finger to “point” the lace through the opening.

Step 8: Grasp the lace with your left hand to create another bunny ear.

Step 9: Use your right hand to hold onto the first bunny ear and your left hand to hold onto the second bunny ear and simultaneously pull down and slightly out on both ears to tighten.

To teach children to tie their shoes verbally talk to them about the steps you are taking as you tie their shoes. Begin with, “First I pull the laces tight, then I cross them. I make a bunny ear and circle around and point the way through. Then I hold both ears and pull tight.” If you do this each time you put on their shoes then eventually they will learn the steps. Once they know the steps then it will be necessary for them to practice, practice, practice.

Have fun and soon your child won’t be asking you to tie shoes anymore!

Many shoes do not require laces. Dress shoes, sandals, flip-flops and Crocs are all shoes that you can easily slip on and do not have to worry about lacing or tying. Many children shoes also have easy access where lacing is not an issue. If you often wear this type of shoe it may be unusual to encounter a shoe that requires lacing. The following will provide a quick how to for lacing athletic shoes. You can use this same concept to lace casual dress shoes, children shoes, or even boots.

Lacing a Shoe

Step 1: Insert shoe lace through one hole starting from the outside of the shoe at the very bottom (closest to the toe) and run it across the shoe and out the hole on the other side of the shoe.

Step 2: Make sure the lace is even by bringing the tips of the laces together and adjusting the lace as necessary.

Step 3: Run the lace from the bottom right up to the next hole on the left.

NOTE: Insert the lace from the inside or bottom of the hole.

Step 4 : Run the other end of the lace from the bottom left up to the next hole on the right.

Step 5: Pull the laces tight and repeat the process inserting from the bottom of the hole.

NOTE: Depending on personal comfort you may want to lace through the shoes tongue holder. For this example the tongue holder is used right after the sixth set of holes. Simply place the lace under the loop and continue lacing up the shoe.

Step 6: Continue lacing the shoe first with the left lace then with the right lace until you reach the top of the shoe.

NOTE: Most athletic shoes have an additional hole slightly lower than the top most hole. You can lace through this as the last hole to provide additional support as needed.

Once you lace a shoe it is a simple process. Teaching someone to tie a shoe is a little more tricky and takes time and repetition if you are teaching children. If your lace brakes and you need to buy new ones you can typically find replacement laces at Walmart, Meijer, or Walgreens.

Often children are ready to start school well before they are five years old. Preschool and daycare arrangements provide ample opportunity to prepare for school even when a child is still quite small. Here are a few reminders if your child is getting ready to start school for the first time. Every school district and/or state may have different requirements so be sure to check with your local school district to find out more.

Preparing for School

Step 1: Meets mandatory age requirements.

Your state will have a specific cut-off date where your child is either too young or is mandated to be enrolled in a learning program. This can vary based on your location and the length of the school year. Many states allow 4-year olds to enroll as long as they turn 5 by December 31. Other states have earlier dates such as September 30. Check with your local school district to find out. The learning program can vary from a state run public school to a home-schooled program. Registration typically occurs in the Spring (March or April) for a Fall start date (August or September).

Step 2: Has proper immunizations.

States and localities have different immunizations requirements. Most require Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP), Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), and Polio, but some also require Hepatitis B, Varicella, or Hepatitis C depending on where you live. Check with the state or county Center for Disease Control to find out the schedule and expectations for your location.

Step 3: Learn basics such as ABC’s, counting, and tying shoes.

This may seem like common sense, but children need to be taught the letters not just to sing the song. This can help them ease in the transition from home to school or even from daycare where an unstructured environment is replaced with a more strict and ridged school day.

Counting and understanding the concept of numbers is also a good attribute to have prior to starting Kindergarten. Practice with your child whenever you have a chance.

Tying shoes is a basic step-by-step direction that can help your child understand how to follow directions. If you work with your child each time you have a chance then by the time they are 5 or 6 they will be able to tie their own shoes.

Step 4: Learns how to put on her own clothes.

Make sure your child can put on his or her own clothes to include zipping pants and coats, buttoning shirts, or snapping snaps. If you are busy getting ready for work then this can help to alleviate some of your responsibility for getting ready in the mornings.

Step 5: Knows address and telephone numbers.

You child should be able to talk to adults and communicate how to reach you. Have your child learn a good telephone number such as your cell phone number in the event someone needs to contact you about your child. This may be your child’s first experience of being away from you without being at a babysitters or with relatives.

Knowing basic skills can help your child to focus on learning at school. Help your child to be confidante in facing the world without you knowing he or she has the skills necessary to succeed.

Do you have any tips on preparing a child for school? What are your suggestions? Our readers would love to hear from you.

Learning to read is a challenge for many children and taking the time to sit down with your child for just 15 to 20 minutes a day can improve your child’s reading skills drastically. Learning to read starts before a child actually understands the written words in a book. Listening to stories, hearing the rhythm and flow of the sentences, and the repetitive syntax of the language all contribute to a child’s ability to learn to read. The following will review some basics to remember when reading with your child as your child is learning to read.

Learning to Read

When reading at home with your children, remember that they have specific interest and can become interested in reading if you can relate the stories to their interest. Choose books that will open your child to reading through shared experiences such as places you have visited, toys or television series your children enjoy such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, G.I. Joe, Spiderman, Dr. Seuss, Dora, Walt Disney Books, or Barbie, or books that have a simple yet interesting fictional story.

Step 1: As you sit down with your child, look at the pictures on the cover of the book. Discuss what you think the book might be about and how the picture often relates to the story in some way. It could have the main character(s) depicted on the front, or simply the setting of the story such as a house, farm, or city. For example, the Barbie book below shows Barbie, Stacie, and a small boy on crutches. The title “The Show Must Go On” indicates this story might be about how a main character in a play broke his leg, but the show must still go on. Encourage your child to read the title and think about the picture before you begin reading the book.

Step 2: Read the title and the author while pointing to the written words. Show your child how to find who has written the book and even the illustrator’s name. You can discuss how some books are written and illustrated by the same person, but often there are two people who work together to make the book complete.

Step 3: As you go through the first couple of pages, you can talk about what you see and what information is on each page. Ask your child questions such as, “Where do I start reading?” and “Which way do I turn the pages?”

Step 4: As you begin reading the story, use tracking as a way to show your child where the words are coming from. Tracking is simply running your finger along under the words as you read them. This can help your child to begin to recognize sight words throughout the story and understand the proper starting points for each page (left to right).

Step 5: Ask your child questions when you read through a book for the first time. Questions should focus on what your child is anticipating in the story such as, “What do you think will happen next?” or “How do you think (the character) felt when that happened?” or “Did you like the ending?”   This will help your child to begin thinking about the story rather than simply listening to the words.

Step 6: Read the book again and again, each time allowing your child to take more control of the reading. Have them read small sections or specific words that they are learning. As your child grows in confidence he or she will want to read whole pages.

Remember, learning to read takes a great deal of practice and repetition. Be patient with your child as he or she is learning to read, and praise your child for any and all attempts to read. Talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns. Have fun, sit back, and enjoy the story because before long your children will be off to college!!!

For many children summer is coming to an end and the new school year will be here quickly. Buying new shoes, clothing, notebooks, pencils, backpacks, and other supplies should be the least of your worries. Reestablishing a solid wake and sleep cycle is crucial for a successful school year and you should begin enforcing betimes well before the new school year starts. Here are a few tips on preparing your children for the return of school.

Bedtime Routines

Most of us don’t allow our children to completely abandon their bedtime routine during the summer, but we do become more lax about the rules. We allow our children to stay up later watching television, playing games,  or reading, and then we let them sleep in the following morning. Two months of this and it can change a child’s sleeping pattern causing trouble when they have to get up early and function at school. To combat the new sleep cycle become stricter with your children concerning bedtime.

About two weeks prior to the start of school, provide your children with advanced warning. For example, on a Friday prior to staring the reprogramming, announce to your children that starting Sunday night their new bedtime will be eight o’clock (earlier or later depending on your child’s age and when they need to way up for school). Explain to them that they need to start preparing for school to begin, and enforce the bedtime each night until school starts. Also restrict playing video games or watching television late at night as this can contribute to an increased resistance to go to bed, create problems for your child to fall asleep, and may even create anxiety about sleep. You may want to set limits on reading while in bed and limit snacks too close to bedtime to help your child sleep better. Lights out mean just that, your children need to go to sleep once they are in bed to establish a proper sleep and wake cycle.

Increase Daytime Activity

After a week of getting your children to bed on time, the resistance should be minimal and the pattern should be taking shape. One way to encourage them to actually fall asleep when you put them to bed is providing adequate levels of activity during the day. Get your children up and moving if they are doing this less frequently than at the start of the summer. Take a hike at a local park, ride bikes, or go swimming. Anything that requires your child to exert energy. The increased level of exercise will help their bodies establish a new rhythm and the need for greater amounts of sleep.

Morning Routines

Finally, about one week prior to starting school, begin getting your children up at their scheduled times. If the bus picks your child up at 7 a.m. or you have to leave your house by a specific time, then give your child an hour to get ready. This means a 6 a.m. sunrise. Yes, that is early for a young child, but necessary to get them out the door on time (this can be adjusted to meet the needs of your child as the year progresses; more or less time may be required). During the practice mornings, treat them as if your child was really going to school. Establish your morning routine of getting up, getting dressed, brushing/fixing hair, eating breakfast, and brushing teeth. The first morning this may be difficult, but as the week goes, your child will become more accepting and possibly excited that school is getting ready to start.

Each morning, as time allows, encourage your children to read or practice skills for school. This may include math, writing, or a review of some of last year’s work. This will get their minds back in the learning mode and make the transition to school easier.

Establishing routines, both bedtime and morning, will help ease your child back into school regardless of age or grade. Reducing stress, encouraging healthy sleep, and providing a solid start to the year can make the process easier and happier for your children.

Do you have any tips on how you prepare for the start of the new school year? Our readers would love to hear from you and what you do to help your children. Please feel free to post questions or comments.

Here are 10 things to remember for the start of the school year:

1. Register for school. If you have moved into a new school district, are changing from a private school to a public school, or if this is your child’s first year of school you will need to contact your local school district and register for classes.  Often there is a waiting period while your student is being enrolled. Make sure you register early so your child won’t miss any days.  Items you will need for registering often include your child’s original birth certificate and social security card along with their immunization record and proof of residency.  Based on your child’s situation you may also be required to have a guardianship or custody paper, individual education plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan, along with school transcripts from previous schooling.

2. Schedule Physicals. Many schools require annual physicals to ensure all immunizations are up to date, especially when your child is entering kindergarten. Also, if your child is planning on playing any sports he or she will need to have a sports physical performed by a physician. This can help to identify any problems that may preclude your child from participation. Check with your coach to find out if free sports physical clinics will be offered in your area.

3. Sort out and organize clothing. This may not seem like a top priority, but when you are rushed to get everyone in the family ready for the day it will be easier to send your child to get dressed knowing the items in their closet still fit. Donate unwanted clothing to local charities or set up a clothing swap with some of your friends and family. This can reduce the overall cost of buying new clothes or you can itemize your donation on your taxes at the end of the year (make sure to keep a detailed list of your donations along with a dated donation slip from the organization). You may also want to provide the school with some clothing to keep in the nurses office.  Contact the school to find out if this is needed.

4. Purchase school supplies. Schools typically provide a specific list of what your child will need. Try not to stray from the list as this will provide you with the best products your school has chosen for the year. Large discount chains such as Walmart and Meijer offer great deals on the supplies, so now is the time to buy.  This may also include items such as cell phones, computers, or other electronic accessories such as a new printer for your home. Some states such as Tennessee offer tax-free seasons for these purchases, so time your purchasing right and you can save a great deal of money.

5. Register your child for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or begin meal planning if your child has specific dietary requirements. The NSLP is the federally assisted meal program available to qualifying children providing low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. Discuss your needs with your child’s teacher if you believe you may qualify for assistance. If your child does not have specific requirements, you may want to print out the lunch menu from your school and begin deciding on how many days your child will buy a lunch from school or pack. This can help you to purchase items that have a longer shelf-life such as cookies, fruit cups, or chips while the products are on sale.

6. Arrange Before and After School Care. In today’s society, many families have two working adults or you may be a single parent. If your jobs do not provide you with flex time, you may need to arrange before and after school care for your children. Check with your school to see if a program is offered through the school or look for private companies offering services. Local YMCA, daycares, and churches are often good resources for this type of child care.

7. Plan for Transportation. If your school offers busing, make sure your child is on the bus route. Then plan accordingly to make sure your child has a safe pick-up and drop-off location. Check with your state’s Department of Social Services to see if your state has a minimum age for leaving children unsupervised. If you are leaving your child at home alone, review house rules, safety rules and emergency situation procedures with your child.

8. Register your child for sports, music, and other extracurricular activities. If your school requires advanced registration for pay to play programs, then you may want to research requirements and cost. You will also need to arrange transportation for any after school programs when your child will not be able to ride the bus home.

9. Review school rules and regulations. Take time to review the rules with your child. Zero tolerance rules are in place to protect our students from violence, but it is not uncommon to hear about young children being expelled for bringing a pocket knife or toy gun to school. Make sure your child understands the rules and how to report suspicious activity (not tattle-telling). You may also want to ensure the clothing your child has are appropriate for school.  Review dress code information and purchase new clothes as required. Often younger students can wear a wider range of clothing such as shorts and skirts with few restrictions, as children get older length requirements may be enforced.

10. Talk to your child. Starting a new grade, going to a new school, or simply returning to school can be stressful for many students. Anxiety about studying, fitting in, or the fear of failing flourish for students at this time of year. Be open with your child and set the stage for communication throughout the school year. Let your child know you are there for them if they need assistance or have questions.

It would be difficult if not impossible to cover all bases prior to starting a new school year, but these are a few reminders to help you ease the pain. Check with your local schools to find out specific requirements or if you have your own anxiety for the new school year!

Do you have any recommendations for parents? We would love to hear your suggestions. Feel free to post questions or comments.

Learning to drive takes years of practice. Taking the time when your child is young to go over the rules of the road will help to ingrain the laws into their minds before they are actually old enough to drive. The time to begin talking to your children about the right-of-way, speed limits, different road signs, and driving safe and smart is when your children are young, even as young as four or five years old, and not simply when they are approaching the age of driving. Here are a few tips on teaching children to drive.

1.) When making a left hand turn with oncoming traffic (not a protected turn with a green arrow) tell your children you have to wait your turn because the vehicles approaching you have the right-of-way (it is their turn to go). Then on your next trip ask your child(ren) during a similar situation, “Who has the right-of-way?” Keep doing this in different situations to help them learn this concept.

2.) Talk about the different road signs such as Yield, Pedestrian Crossing, Stop, and signs without words, such as slippery when wet, deer crossing signs, and falling rock zones. This will familiarize them with the meaning of the sign and reinforce the shapes, letters, numbers, and color of the signs.

3.) Talk about the dangers of speeding. Young drivers vary rarely think about the ramifications of driving too fast. As people get older (at least a large majority of drivers) realize that wrapping your car around a telephone pole is not exactly the best thing to do. Discuss speed during various road conditions such as snow, ice, rain, and even during dry conditions or periods of heavy traffic. Different levels of light can also affect how fast you should drive, so take time to discuss how you reduce your speed at night. You will also want to discuss the dangers of talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, or doing anything else that prevents the driver from concentrating on driving.

4.) Talk about drinking and driving. This is a huge issue in our country and working to teach your kids early is the best defense. Talk to them about the dangers of driving impaired and not riding with anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Starting with the right mindset may prevent a cave-in during a period of teen peer pressure. Always provide your children a ride if they call with a request for one because they don’t trust their driver. Then discuss (the next day) the decisions they made and how the situation could have been avoided. Perhaps eliminating the driver as trustworthy and not allowing your child to go out with them while the other teen is driving.

5.) As your child approaches the driving age, provide them lots of practice. This may not always be easy with high gas prices and busy schedules, but the more practice your child has the better driver he or she will become. Set limits, rules, and expectations to reinforce what you have been teaching from an early age.

Starting young is the best way to begin teaching your children to drive. Ten or more years of discussion can lead to a good end result—safe driving habits. Be prepared to answer questions, review traffic laws by visiting your states department of motor vehicles web site, and give ample real-world examples and verbal learning while your children are young. Set the example by practicing good driving habits and driving safely.

Do you have any questions or tips for teaching your children to drive? Feel free to post questions and stories of your experiences.

Adults generally know when they need to be seen by a physician. Often we ignore what we can’t fix in ourselves until we get better (generally in 5 to 7 days), take over-the counter medicine, or stay in bed, but if your child is sick it is often hard to determine if a call to the doctor is needed. Being a cautious parent, but not over reacting, can often help parents make the right decision.

Taking into account your child’s age will play a huge factor in what you need to do. Working from experience as a parent rather than a medical professional is the perspective of this article. Always make your determination about your child’s health based on past experiences with your child, family history, and the circumstances of the current situation.  If in doubt, call the doctor or take your child in to Urgent Care or an Emergency Room as needed.

Caring for Children Under One Year of Age

When children are very young, their bodies are more susceptible to illness and immune defenses are not as strong as in older children. Take great care when making a decision on a very young child. No one will fault you for taking a child in to see the doctor when things just don’t seem right with him or her. Childhood illnesses create various problems to include irritability, high fevers, lack of appetite, irregular bowl movements (too frequent or not enough), vomiting, and changes in physical appearance such as a rash on the skin or changes in the eyes.

Taking a fever using a rectal thermometer is the best judge of fever. This will provide the most accurate reading and allow you to make a better judgment call concerning your child’s health. If your child is under three months, a fever greater than 100.4 is a sign there is something significantly wrong. Other symptoms to look out for are uncontrollable crying where you cannot comfort your child in any way, lack of appetite, or listlessness. All of these can be signs of something serious. You should contact your baby’s physician right away.

Caring for Older Children

In older children, as with people of all ages, a fever is a natural way the body works to eliminate unwanted viruses or bacteria. The temperature can reach up to 101 in children 3 to 6 months and 104 in children older than 6 months without posing a serious risk to your child. With viruses such as Roseola, Influenza, or bacterial infections such as Strep Throat, a high fever reaching 104 is not uncommon. It is important to keep a fever as low as possible through the use of various techniques. Talk with your pediatrician about administering over-the-counter medicine such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil) to children under the age of two.  Other ways of reducing a fever include removing any tight or heavy weight clothing and using a damp, cool cloth soaked in water to wipe on the child’s forehead. The evaporation of the water from the head will help to release heat.

Looking for symptoms such as a fever that has lasted more than three days or is not controlled with simple home remedies, listlessness (may be caused by dehydration or other problems), pain with urination, earache, or severe stomach pains, could all be a sign of something more serious. Call your child’s physician or nurse line if you have questions.

Questions to Ask Your Child

Putting your child in control (once old enough to talk and communicate with you) will often provide you with the right answer. Asking your child a few questions can help to improve your understanding of the situation and judge the severity. Here are a few sample questions to ask your child:

• Do you think you need to see the doctor? (Do you feel so sick that you are worried?)
• Did you eat or drink anything that you shouldn’t have? (For example, a piece of “candy” your child found in the sofa–could be a lost pill and if consumed by your child then it could potentially make him or her feel sick)
• When did your (fill in the blank) start hurting? (Often little things can aggravate a child to the point of pain such as the sun, noise, or simply being overly tired. Understanding when the pain started, may help you to determine the cause)
• Do you think it is broken? If you have ever had a broken bone, you will understand this question.

Keep the questions simple for your child and you may discover more than expected. Placing your child in control will often lead you to the right decision when deciding whether or not to take your child to the doctor. If there is a serious problem such as blurred vision, a broken bone, blood or mucous in the stool, visible infection in an open wound (smells funny, has pus or is bright red around the wound), has yellow skin, has trouble breathing, or has been vomiting for more than 12 hours then you need to take your child to see a physician. If you have questions, call your doctor and discuss symptoms and home remedies. If your doctor (or nurse) believes the problem is serious, they will recommend a visit.

Finally, go with your parental instincts. If your child is so sick that he or she is not behaving normally and you are worried, make an appointment and take your child to the doctor.

Do you have questions or comments? We would love to hear from you.

Other Related Deals

• Pictures On Gold is the web leader in customized jewelry utilizing the latest laser technology to create photos lasered in 14k gold & Sterling Silver.
• Top Medical specializes in the distribution of specialty medications to Orthopedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, Sports Medicine Practitioners, as well as Cosmetic Surgeons and Dermatologists.
• Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and services, and pharmacy, health and wellness services, in America.
• QualityHealth consumers can submit an email address or complete a short registration form to receive free samples, discount cards, recipes, brand name products, etc.

Over the summer your children will experience reading skill loss if they do not read often. This can hinder their learning when the school year begins in the fall. In some cases this skill loss can be as much as 60%! If your child has worked hard all year to improve his or her reading, don’t let the hard work go to waste. Encourage your children to become avid readers through a summer reading program. If your local library does not sponsor a program, you can create your own.  Here are a few tips on how to create your own summer reading program. You can be extremely creative or just keep it simple–as long as the program motivates your children to read.


Step 1: Determine how long you would like the program to run.  Two months is a good length of time and it will cover the majority of the summer. The starting point could be the first of June and the ending date could be the first of August (or you can extend it all the way through the start of school).

Step 2: Determine how much time you want your child to read each day. A good standard is about 30 minutes. This can be reading to him or herself or to someone out loud.  Older siblings could read to younger ones or you could have your child read to you. If your child is too young to read, set a time to read to your child daily.

Step 3: Create your rewards system. Here is an example for younger children. Depending on the skill level, you can focus on pages or books.

For children under 11 you could use the following system:
Stage 1: 5 books or 150 pages = Prize Level 1
Stage 2: 10 books or 250 pages = Prize Level 2
Stage 3: 15 books or 400 pages = Prize Level 3
Stage 4: 20 books or 500 pages = Prize Level 4
Bonus prizes could be awarded after original target has been reached.

It is a cumulative system, so for every 5 books you can award your child with a special treat such as 30 minutes of extra video game time, a trip to the toy store for a $5 gift, or a favorite dessert. The pages are cumulative, but for this design it is more about the total number of pages rather than reading  a certain number at each level.

You could also include other families in your neighborhood. Work with the parents to establish a “prize pool” and designate someone to track the reading progress. At the end of the summer you could all chip in for an ultimate prize drawing and raffle off the prize by giving children the opportunity to win submissions throughout the summer through various reading activities.

Step 4: Purchase the awards in advance if possible. You could even allow your children to help decide what they want to work towards.  If it is something you can’t purchase early, make certificates to symbolize what your child wants to achieve. For example it could be a day at Six Flags, or a special ice cream treat, or a set time of television watching you could draw a coupon or create one on your computer.

Step 5: Create a tracking system. You can simply use a note pad to have your child keep track of their reading progress. Each week, they can report to you what they have read and you can translate that into the prize or let them know how much further they have before reaching the next prize level.

2010 Summer Reading Program Reading Progress Log

Step 6: Read! Work to establish a time each day for quite reading time. If everyone in the house is reading then it won’t seem like a chore, but rather a great family experience.

Step 7: Enjoy the program you have created and work with your children to make sure the system is motivating them. If your children are older you can let them take leadership of the program with your oversight.  They may not realize they are learning more than simply keeping up on their reading skills!

NOTE: Make sure you have plenty of reading material on hand. You can check books out of the library, borrow books from your neighbors (do a book swap), or purchase books at Biggerbooks, Barnes and Noble, Meijer, or Amazon. You can also look for books at flea markets or yard and rummage sales.

Do you have any literacy ideas to share? We would love to hear from you.