Reading Through the Summer

One of my goals here at the LSG House is to have keep a steady learning environment. So that means that even when we are on a break of sorts from school, I still have my kids read. 

Just about every weekday my kids are required to read.  Usually they have quiet time in the after noon for about an hour and a half -during which time they are to read and then they can play quietly in their rooms or nap.  The girls are to read at least a chapter.  Alpha Boy is required to chill in his room and look at books for about 20-30 minutes.  Little Bits usually gets a story read to him either by me or one of the girls before his afternoon nap, afterwards he will usually look at a few books before drifting off to sleep.

We do a good amount of reading together during the day.  We read historical fictions, character sketches and about missionaries together,  So for their QT reading I allow them to choose what they would like to read for fun.  Current or recent books for the girls include Ginger Pye, Little Women, and American Girl Doll Books.  Alpha Boy loves I Spy Books and Little Bits {and everyone else} really likes Bernstein Bear Books. 

Up until this summer, we have taken the summers off, like mid May to mid August off.  This summer will be a little different.  Because of the new curriculum that we are using this coming year I have decided to take a few weeks and then keep plugging along.  {more on this later}

Even though we are going to continue with school we are going to join in the our county library's summer reading program as well as the one from Barnes and Nobles.  They are reading anyway but I think these programs will be a nice little incentive to keep on keepin' on. 

I am also considering starting an American Girl Doll book club this summer - this is still being worked out in my brain but I did think this would be a fun way to hang with friends, meet new friends and make reading fun!

Some ideas to make summer reading fun would be:

• Read through all the books from the Five in a Row Series for fun.
• Pick one American Girl Doll and read the whole series about her aloud.  Don't forget incorporate some the crafts and recipes for her time period.
• Just because it's summer does not mean kids can't make a lapbook, some of my children really enjoy making these.  Homeschool Share has oodles of lapbooks, for freeeee!
• Pick a few ideas from my Bringing Books to Life Series and do them with a book you've read.
• Start a summer reading club!

What summer reading plans do you have??