2013 Summer Reading Program

Summer is here and we are off to a great start with our summer reading program!  This year Darin and Nathan requested that I make a game board like I used to when they were in elementary school (more like kinder-3rd grade).  Apparently I used to be a way more fabulous mom to them when they were younger because it seems like every 5 minutes I hear, "Moooom, do you remember when you used to..."  I want to respond, "Remember, when you used to be home!  Which meant I used to be home, so I could be all sorts of fabulous..."  To be fair we have traveled so much the past few summers that we tracked it online or in different ways.  But, since we are bringing the financial stuff we started this summer on the road with us I made up a Summer Reading Program Chart that can fly too.  And now I am done with all my responsibilities for this and my adorable children can get off my back!

Ever since the very beginning of our annual Summer Reading Program it has all fallen on Ken.  I do the set-up and he does the follow through (like so many things in our life:)  It started the summer after Darin's 1st grade year and Nathan's Kinder.  We had just had Rose and we knew they had to keep reading during the summer, but I was not about to drive them to the library or to Barnes & Nobles to do their reading programs so we made one up for Ken to do with them.  It was a gameboard kind of like this except on poster board and the boys had to fill in squares for everyday during the summer and there were periodic rewards at the end of each week.  I would remind the boys once each day to do their reading and they could listen to me or not but if they didn't do it there would be no fun reward with Dad.  It really took zero reminding from me for them to do it.  Hey, I can't blame them, I would still probably do anything if one-on-one time with Ken was my reward too!

In all the years we have been doing this we have found that time spent with Dad is pretty much the best motivation EVER!  As the boys have gotten older we tried to do things where they would earn an ipod or something nice that we would never buy them.  Instead they ended up earning money and decided to use it to buy 3 remote control boats or 3 airsoft tanks so they could play and fight their Dad.  This past school year he has still been doing the program with Rose and Ginger (see here) the kids decided they just wanted to do activities with their Dad.

Seriously, you would think he is never around or something (well, he is traveling right now but that's not usually the norm), but I guess getting his free time for just playing around is pretty rare.  They have to color a piece of the pie for everyday of the week, after two weeks they get their reward.  If they miss a day then they miss out on the reward for the week.  Each child chose their own color to use, it really doesn't matter where they color, they just have to use their color.  The Saturday before school starts they get the whole entire day to play around with Ken if they read every single day (and me too usually). They can go back and make up days they missed but if it made them miss out on a reward they never get to make that up.  Sometimes we take them to an amusement park but really they love to dictate the whole entire day.  (See here and here)

This year Ken has the boys reading technical manuals and articles.  It's part of their enrichment program to build a server and learn how to program with their Dad.  Darin and Nathan really have no need for motivation to read books anymore.  In fact it is more of the opposite where I have to force myself not to take away their books:)  I have never done this but there are definitely times when I wish I could ground them from reading.

Ginger has to do one lesson in her "Learn to Read" book with Mom usually.  Although Rose really likes to be her teacher too.  Darin and Nathan also help out occasionally, which is nice.

Rose made a deal with Ken to start reading chapter books and writing in her journal the "Beginning, Middle, and End" of what she reads.  Okay, so maybe I'm not finished setting them up for the summer because I'm supposed to take her to pick out a bunch of chapter books.

So, one last thing for me to prep and it will finally feel like I'm on summer vacation!  It's been a fun 1st week of summer in spite of Ginger and Nathan being sick with Mono and Ken traveling for his work conferences.  I've needed this time anyways to put in place new routines and rhythms with the kids. I love having everyone home for the summer!