Create a Summer Reading Habit

If you are blessed with a child whose natural habitat is between the covers of a book, summer reading is a cool breeze. For the rest of us, the annual question is how to set the scene for a relaxing, enjoyable reading time.

In school we often talk about reading,  and the students discuss when and where they like to read.The number one choice is the one you'd predict-- bedtime. There are many reasons kids choose to read at bedtime, but I think the most powerful one is habit. Ever since they were little, bedtime and stories have been hooked together.

So, to encourage reading, we need to create another habit. In the article 18 Ways to Make New Habits Stick, one of the suggestions is to use the cues of "time, place and circumstance"to create a daily reading time. To do this, we need to look at our summer schedule and see what regularly occurring event we can tie to reading.

Since most of us eat meats at regular intervals, why not tie reading to a meal or snack? You are all gathered together, so you can just move the party to a comfortable place, indoor or out, and read. Whatever you plan, go for consistency and stick to it. For more ideas, check out these specific strategies for building the reading habit.