Building a Reading Star

Carli turned 4 years old at the beginning of April. I started homeschooling her last August in Preschool. We aren't consistent due to her being young and my inability to adjust to change on the fly and we have had a lot of changes in our house as of late. Dan and I really want our girls to develop is a love of books and having a creative mind. I feel that to develop those traits that it seems easier to be consistent in reading with the girls then to hope and pray it will happen as they grow.

In the past 6 months Carli has really begun to pick up reading words but has been struggling to write the letters properly. Lately she has been refusing to read and just wants me to but I am quite honestly tired of reading Hop on Pop and Can't Catch Me (a monkey book). They are so short and exactly the same every night I have to read them to Carli and Sam. I recently picked up Peter Rabbit from the Dollar Spot in Target and Carli loved it- The story was a bit longer than she was use to but it was different and more advanced.

This led to Dan and I to discussing Carli's need for chapter books. I pondered on this new step in her education and how it would work with Sam. I came across two things within a few days of each other. I think it is important to note that Sam gets a book before bed now and then she goes to bed while I read the Chapter book to Carli alone.

 1. A garage sale with The Wizard of Oz and Pride and Prejudice they were both only 50 cents. Score!!!!
2. A Summer Reading Program with Free Printables (we recently bought colored ink!!!)

I put together the Summer Reading Program and got Carli all pumped. Now I want to Share what we did with you.

•  I printed out all the documents on cardstock. 
•  I cut out all the documents out
•  I laminated them

 

I laminated them so I can reuse them next year easily and so that they last throughout this summer- my kids and I can be quite brutal to things we use.

•  I talked with Carli about how it works and explained it in three steps:

1. We need to find a book to read (we do not read by the minutes but by the chapter)
2. We have to draw a picture and write one word associated with the chapter (we do this the next day before reading a new chapter)
3. We mark on the BINGO game a square (We normally pick a square before we read, we mark the game after we draw the picture)

• Once Carli completes 5 activities in a row on the BINGO card she gets a coupon. Carli just earned her first Coupon Yesterday!

                                             Carli selected the coupon for a Cupcake Date!

How Carli earned her first Bingo through reading:

• In her pajamas
• Sitting in the grass
• on a Tuesday
• with a hat on (used her bear hat from her surgery)
• using the middle BINGO star (freebie)

Carli's coupon Options (she came up with, mom helped):

• McChicken from McDonalds
• Park Outing
• Icecream Date
• Cupcake Date
• Movie Night (redbox + snack)
• A candy bar
• GOLDEN TICKET: dollar spot for special prize (when she completes the whole game)

Sam is lucky because she benefits from these just by being carli's sister.