CELEBRATE NATIONAL BOOK MONTH

Reading is one of America’s most beloved pastimes, which is why October is National Book Month in the United States.  National Book Month was created by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating the written word and recognizing excellence in writing in the United States.  Celebrate the joy of reading this month by creating a family book club with these helpful tips based on the National Book Foundations suggestions for getting your family involved.

Make a Reading List

If your children are old enough, sit them down and talk about creating a family reading list filled with books that excite them.  Take a look at the National Book Foundation’s official book list (http://www.nationalbook.org/nbmreadlist.html) and Kumon’s Recommended Reading list for ideas.  If you have a young child at home, take an inventory of what interests and excites him or her and look for books that reflect those interests.

Make Reading Night Fun

Once you have your reading list established, set aside one night per week to read and discuss the current book from the list.  Make fun and healthy snacks to share and as National Book Foundation suggests, play some games with a literary twist.  These games could serve as icebreakers to get everyone relaxed and having fun before discussing more serious thoughts and feelings about what they’ve been reading.  For example, you could play charades by acting out characters from the book or draw and guess key props, settings or characters from the story.

Make Reading a Community Activity

If your family book club is going well, but you’d like to expand it even more, think about inviting other relatives or neighborhood families into the mix.   This could be a great opportunity to bring new perspectives to the books you are discussing while also providing an educational and social interaction for your children.

Celebrate National Book Month with your family and help foster a love of reading in your child.