Celebrating National Reading Month

Celebrating National Reading Month

Did you know that March is National Reading Month? It’s the perfect time to encourage your child’s  love of books. My daughter Mia is an enthusiastic reader. It’s not unusual for her to devour three books at a time! Being able to read multiple titles simultaneously via one fabulous (very light) device is just one reason why the Kindle e-reader ($79) is a must-have for young readers. Here are a few more:

Why the Kindle e-reader is Awesome for Kids

1. Learning New Words: With the Kindle e-reader, kids can easily look up definitions of words that they don’t know, giving them context to what they’re reading and increasing their vocabulary. They just highlight the word with their finger and hold it down and look up the meaning of that word.

2. Enjoying Special Features: Fun features like Vocabulary Builder (which keeps track of words that kiddos look up and lets then quiz themselves with flash cards) and Word Wise, which gives kids easy-to-understand definitions for challenging words.

3. Access to Thousands of Books: Children can read tons of books for free including classics like The Island of the Blue Dolphins as well as eBooks from their local library.

4. Making Reading Super Convenient: The Kindle e-reader is the perfect size for little hands and fits easily into a book bag or backpack. No more hauling heavy books around!

5. Amazon FreeTime Unlimited: Starting at just $2.99 per month (less than the cost of ONE traditional book), this all in one subscription means UNLIMITED access to literally hundreds of chapter books and early readers, all selected for their age-appropirateness (meaning busy Moms and Dads don’t have to worry about it).

If you have a kiddo who enjoys reading, you may want to consider starting a Mother/Daughter Book Club.

Building a Book Club

My nine year old daughter and I have been in a Mother Daughter Book Club for two years.  Here are my tips for organizing a Parent/Child Book Club:

1. Keep the Group Manageable: We have a total of six moms and seven kids which I think is the perfect number. You want to have enough people so that if one or two people can’t make it, you can still have a lively discussion, but not so many that it become too difficult to engage everyone.

2. Take Turns: In our group, we take turns choosing the books and hosting the gathering at our homes.  We try to get together every one to two months (we take the summer off).

3. Feed the Brain and the Body: We like to schedule our Book Clubs at 4:30 on Sundays (dinner time)! Usually the family that’s hosting provides the main dish and everyone else brings an appetizer, drink, a salad, bread or dessert to share. That way it’s manageable for everyone.

4. Be Prepared to Discuss the Book: To get the most out of our time together, the Mother/Daughter duo that chose the book comes prepared with discussion questions. A question is raised and then we go around to each child and let them answer, that way everyone’s opinion is heard.

5. Have a Set Starting/Ending Time: In order to be respectful of everyone’s precious time, we always start Book Clubs at 4:30 and have it wrapped up by 7:30.

What to Read At Book Club

Sometimes choosing book titles can seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Parents can feel good about using the Amazon FreeTime Unlimited for books that are perfect for their child’s age. Here’s a printable list of the books we’ve read in our Book Club: Suggested Titles for a Mother:Daughter Book Club. The girls were seven when we started, and now they’re nine. Some of these titles have been fairly easy to read and understand and some have been more challenging. Mia and I like to take turns reading chapters aloud to each other when it’s a more difficult read.

Does you child or grandchild love to read?

Tell me about it in the comments!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.