Celebrate a Milestone

September 08, 2010

To this day, I can still remember how “grown-up” I felt when I checked out my first chapter book from the public library. On the way home, we stopped and got an ice cream cone. Whether your child likes to read or is a reluctant reader, using incentives can encourage reading.  Milestones for different rewards could be reading a certain number of pages, number of books, time spent reading, or progressing to a higher level of difficulty.

Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner is a great first chapter book. It is the introductory book to the Boxcar Children Mysteries series about four orphans; Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Try reading just one chapter about these lovable orphans each evening, and your child just may ask [beg] for another…and another!  Upon completion, have a celebration in recognition of your child’s achievement. Celebrating these milestones not only encourages your child to read, but also creates memories to last a lifetime.

Rachel R.
Colbern Road Branch