Raising a Bookworm
The summer months are a great time to dig into books, just for the joy of reading. What better way to spend sultry summer afternoons than with a good book in a backyard hammock? The local library is a great source of endless adventures to entice the imagination in children of all ages.
Give your child the opportunity to experience the library on a regular basis. Begin with a library card. It’s quite cute to see my boys’ names written on their library cards in all capitals, preschool print, because both were young when they began checking out books. Having a personal library card and access to books teaches life skills. The child is responsible for using his card to sign out books and thus should be held responsible for taking care of the books. This includes keeping books in a safe place at home, out of the reach of young siblings or pets. Try using a special bag just for library books with a zippered pocket for the child’s library card. Mark the calendar with due dates and count the days to return the books on time to avoid overdue fees.
A reading tool I’ve used every summer with my boys is Book Bingo. The boys and I make a list of reading material from a variety of genre. Books and magazines as well as books of the Bible are printed on the bingo boards. At least one Gospel is included each summer. I like to remind the boys of John’s words, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
The Book Bingo boards hang in the kitchen. When a book is completed, the reader gives a quick summary of what he has read and the bingo square is highlighted. When BINGO is achieved, a prize is awarded which ranges from a picnic lunch or extra playtime at the park to small rewards like pencils, gum, stickers, and gift cards. The rewards continue each time an additional BINGO is completed, across, down, and the entire board. The final prize is a trip to the local bookstore to choose a book for each boy’s personal library. The prizes have obviously changed over the years to accommodate age and interests to be an incentive to complete the entire book list.
Encourage your kids to become bookworms. Try Book Bingo! It’s easy with the download bingo board.
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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