Setting Your Summer Reading Challenge Goals #SummerReading #spon

This is a Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge sponsored post.

Summer is here! Today is the last day of school for my kids. Do you have a summer reading program in place for your kids this summer? Before you get all, “but it’s summer and they need to be lazy” on me…listen! I get that!

I don’t like a lot of structure in the summer either. I enjoy the lazy days. I enjoy sleeping in. I enjoy enjoying my kids.

But I also want to instill a love of reading in my kids, so I do have a loose summer reading challenge in place every summer. By loose, I mean, they decide when they want to read. I just give them the books and the tools to track and let them go at it.

Scholastic Summer Reading Program

The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is in its 9^th year. It is a free online reading program to encourage your kids to read.

Have you heard of the summer slide? That is not a new slide at the park. That is when your kids forget some of the things they’ve been taught because they are out of school for a few months. Reading can keep your kids from the summer slide.

Reading Challenge is Easy

Here is what I do every year.

• Sign my kids up for the Summer Reading Challenge (FREE)
• Download a reading chart to track their minutes
• Have them pull out the Scholastic books we bought throughout the school year (and buy more if they need it) and have them put them on one shelf where they can see them.
• Tell them to make a goal for the number of minutes to read over the summer
• Let them read!

Summer Reading Challenge Goal Setting Printable (scroll to bottom of page for printables)

It really is that simple to set up. I don’t tell them when to read and they make their goals. I do offer more books and some prizes if they reach monthly goals.

Summer Reading 2015 Reading Log #SummerReading (Scroll to bottom of page for printables)

New In 2015 Summer Reading Challenge

If you’ve participated in the Summer Reading Challenge in the past, you may be interested in some of the new features for 2015.

• This year’s theme is “Power Up & Read” and is powered by ENERGIZER®

• The parents site offers new daily tips and a weekly sweepstakes to win a “Power Up & Read Kit.” (IncludesScholastic tote bag, water bottle, a copy of Reading Unbound by Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith, $10 gift certificate to Scholastic Store Online, Energizer® brand batteries,Scholastic books, and more)
• There are also more free resources and videos for parents to research, watch and download. I love that the resources are broken down by age so the information is tailored to you and your kids.
• Kids can unlock short stories from some of their favorite children’s authors. Each story is original and your younger kids can read along with the audio if they are too young to read themselves. What is unique about these stories is the 12 authors wrote a story starting with this opening sentence:

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that no one had followed me into the shadowy library, then took a deep breath and opened the glowing book…

Share with me your summer reading plans for this year. What books are your kids reading? Do you have goals set?

For More Information:

• Sign up for the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
• Find more Scholastic Resources to keep your kids reading all summer long!
• Learn more about the Energizer® Instant Win Game
• Follow @Scholastic on Twitter
• Like the Energizer® Bunny on Facebook
• #SummerReading

Disclosure: This is a Scholastic sponsored post. I received books and other compensation in exchange for my participation in this Scholastic Summer Reading campaign. All opinions are my own.