“Can I bring my book?” The magic words every parent hopes to hear from their child.
I grew up loving to read. My father always had a book (or was looking for it). I want my kids to develop a love and appreciation for books.
Reading over the summer is one of the most common recommendations from educators, but we all know it’s easier said than done. Many families look to their local libraries for fun, free activities during the summer. In addition to these offerings, there are summer reading challenges.
Our family stumbled upon Trumbull’s “Past, Present, and Pages” while we were perusing for books, and the kids laid eyes upon a display case with squishies, puzzles, a minifig gift card, and so much more. They quickly ran to the desk to speak with the librarian. She explained that these were prizes for their summer reading challenge.
Minutes read earn points. Points can be redeemed for dollars and raffle tickets. Obviously, we needed to see the merchandise again; that was when my kids officially bought in. My daughter’s goal was the K-Pop Demon Hunters bundle, and my son wanted to earn as many minifig cards as humanly possible.
We checked out our books and headed home. They had already earned five minutes each by the time I pulled into the driveway. Next, I heard, “I’m going to set a timer for 20 minutes.” Our house implemented a new bedtime policy. You can stay up if you’re reading. Both kids have realized that reading before bed helps them wind down from the day and makes it easier to fall asleep. Now, I know some people might not agree with an incentive-based program, but guess what happened?
The timer went off, and they kept reading. The incentive of the summer reading challenge got them started, but the curiosity of what happened next kept the pages turning.
Here are some of the summer reading challenges across Fairfield County. Check with your library for details on how the activities are tracked. Some towns are using apps, such as BeanStack or READSquared.
- Trumbull: Past, Present, and Pages
- Fairfield: Unearth a Story
- Westport: Plant a See, Read
- Shelton: Step Right Up and READ
- Danbury: Unearth a Story
- Bridgeport: Plant a See, Read
