As a kid, I loved participating in the reading program by Pizza Hut. It was so exciting to read the number of books to earn my personal pan pizza. These programs continue to be available to our kids across the country and I’m excited to see my own kids reap the rewards of these programs. They provide a great activity for kids throughout the summer. Reading helps promote youth wellness and the ability to cope in so many ways.
How does reading help kids cope? These are a few things that reading can do to help improve wellness for your kids.
Improve vocabulary-When kids read they begin to identify and associate with new words. New words allow kids the opportunity to express themselves in new ways. Being able to articulate their feelings can help them meet their emotional needs.
Quality time with loved ones– I value the time that I’m able to spend with my kids before bed reading stories that I’ve enjoyed as a kid or listening to them read to me. With all the noise and chaos of our day, those quiet moments spent with your child reading are priceless.
Creativity– Reading allow kids to dream about new ideas and practice visualization. Books can help build dreamers, which can lead to future creators for society. Reading allows kids to think about things in their own unique way.
Gets them off electronics– Ok, sorry kindle, the electronics I’m referring to are video games and television. Our kids get plenty of screen time these days. Reading more books allows them to break away from those devices which tend to just be more mindless activities for our kids.
Improve sleep– If you have a child that has a difficult time settling down to sleep, try reading them a book or having them read. Something about reading tends to ease the mind and be relaxing.
How do we get kids excited about reading? Is it a challenge for you to get your kids to read? Would your kids rather do other things?
These strategies can help with getting your kids more excited about reading.
Explore interests– Find books that relate to things that you like to do. If you have kids that like watching butterflies or playing soccer, find books that are based on these interests. When you travel to new places, check out books that help them to identify with where you are going.
Find a Series– There are tons of great book series, especially for older youth. If your youth reads one book in the series, it can lead to a chain reaction of reading all the books in the series. Kids can relate to the books they’re familiar with, like Dr. Seuss books.
Have a book party– Designate a night to read together as a family. Make some popcorn or snacks, build a fort, read around a backyard campfire, just turn it into a fun event that centers on reading together.
Book club for Kids– Adults enjoy book clubs, why not incorporate a book club for kids. Coordinate with some of your child’s friend’s parents and find a book they can all read during a period of time. Set up a play date at the park and take a few minutes to talk together about the book they read and what they liked about it.
Go to a Book Reading– Check your local libraries or bookstore for designated times when they have book readings. This can be enjoyable for younger kids to hear a different voice read a book to them.
Get them a library card– If they are too young to get a card for themselves, make a pretend card for them. Kids will take pride and ownership when they have something official. Make it a big deal, by telling them to have their library card ready before you go to the library. They can pretend to use their card to check their books out.
How do we get involved in reading programs for our youth?
Here are a few FREE opportunities to look into:
Pizza Hut Book It program– Participating schools continue to offer this program in the classroom, so the teacher can award certificates for a personal pizza when kids meet their reading goals. They also provide many helpful tools and ideas to get parents and kids involved in reading. Local Libraries– Here in Arizona our libraries offer summer reading programs for our kids. Kids can sign up and chart the time they spent reading and earn a prize after completing their reading goals. Similar programs can be found at your local libraries. Barnes and Noble– Barnes and Noble has a summer reading program that allows kids to earn a free book. Books-A-Million-Kids can sign up to read 4 books and earn a pencil case with pencils. You do have to go to the store to receive your reward.Reading can strengthen the wellness of our youth with improving mental health, intelligence, and overall well-being. I encourage you to help your kids be active readers and to be committed to spending time reading with them. There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” – Frank Serafini
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