Does your family make resolutions for the new year? This year, why not make it a goal to read more books together? There are lots of fun ways that you can work on reading more books as a family. To get you started, I decided to gather some of my favorite ideas for tracking family reading resolutions for the new year!

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Making Reading Goals Together

Whether you have previously made resolutions as a family, or you want to get started this year, reading more books is a great place to start. Reading to (or with) your kids is so important for educational success and building a lifelong love of reading. There are tons of resources out there that prove that reading to your kids is the best possible way to set them up for educational success in the future – and it can also be fun! A win-win for everyone! (If every reading time isn’t fun, that is totally normal. See my post here for a little chuckle and some tips on facing reading obstacles).

Related Post: 5 Things Experts Don’t Tell You About Reading Aloud to Kids

By making reading goals as a family, you are telling your kids that reading is important. This simple statement can have a great impact on how they think about reading and learning. There are tons of studies out there about the importance of a literate environment in the home. Houses that are full of books and other written materials encourage kids to explore the written word. Just making the goal to read together more often is a great first step to raising kids who love reading!

Related Post: How Your Dog Can Help Your Kids With Their Reading!

But my kids already know how to read on their own….

No matter the age of your children, reading to them can be important. Jim Trelease is the author of The Read Aloud Handbook and he stresses the importance of continuing to read to kids even when they are capable of reading on their own. (If you have not read his book, I HIGHLY recommend it!). As kids learn to read, it is important for parents to continue reading to them from above their reading level. This not only helps them to improve their listening comprehension, but it can also increase their vocabulary and help them to become better readers.

How to Fit in Reading Time

Reading Before Bed

There are lots of ways that you can fit more reading into the day. Reading before bed is always a popular option. Studies show that turning the screens off before bed is proven to provide better sleep. Settling in for some snuggle time and a good book is a great way to help kids wind down for the night. Even older kids can benefit from this peaceful transition.

DEAR Time

If you aren’t familiar with DEAR Time, it stands for Drop Everything And Read. This was always my favorite part of the school day. I loved books and reading, and the chance to step away from the chaos of the school day and dive into a favorite book was always a highlight. DEAR time can become a part of your family’s reading goals too. Try incorporating a weekly DEAR time into your schedule. You can spend time reading the same book together, or each read your own book. Having a scheduled time to put down the screens and read together can have a positive impact on everyone!

Reading at the Table

For little ones, reading during meal times can be a good way to keep them entertained and seated while eating. My daughter is now at a stage where she likes to get up and walk around during meal times. When it is just the two of us eating breakfast or lunch, I like to introduce her to new books and read them while we eat. It keeps her seated and focused a lot better than a TV show does, and we get some treasured reading time together.

Waiting Times

I try to always carry books with me wherever we go. There are books in our cars, in my diaper bag, and even in my purse. If we are out at a restaurant, or waiting at a doctor’s office, it is a huge help to be able to pull out a book and read together. For older children, you can have them read aloud in the car while you are stuck in traffic or driving to your destination. We spend so much of our lives waiting for things, why not fill that time with books?

Related Post: Learning in the Car: Taking Education on the Road

Tracking Your Goals

There are lots of fun ways that you can track your family reading goals. Make a decision as a family of the ways that you want to track your reading and celebrate your milestones. Do you want to read a certain amount of books each month? Is your goal to read more each day or month? Depending on your goal, there are several options that you can use to track your success. Celebrations for meeting milestones can include a trip to the bookstore, a new book, a fun outing, or a small token or prize.

Ideas for tracking reading:

• Reading Punch Cards – For each book or set amount of reading time completed, punch one hole out of the card. Prizes can be awarded for a full card.
• Reading Bingo Board – Create a reading challenge with books on various themes. Fill out a blank bingo board with book themes and mark off each one as you read them. Try to get a row, or fill in the whole card for a prize.
• Reading Challenge – Come up with a reading challenge for your family to complete together. Read a book starting with every letter of the alphabet. Or read a book from 12 different genres. Reading challenges are a great way to introduce your family to new topics and themes.
• Reading Logs – Keep a daily or weekly log of reading time.
• Book Logs – Keep track of the books that you have read, and your thoughts on them.
• Book Art – Take a large piece of poster board and draw several lines across it to mimic bookshelves. Every time you finish a book write the title down on a small rectangular piece of construction paper (to mimic a book spine) and attach it to your board. Try to fill up the bookshelves throughout the year

To help your family track your reading goals, I created some free resources that you can start using right away! Click here to access them!

There are so many important reasons to add reading to your family routine, and the new year is the perfect time to set reading goals together! Does your family set yearly resolutions? What reading resolution will you come up with this year? Share in the comments below!

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