Established in Washington in 1966, Reading is Fundamental began when Margaret McNamara realized that the students she was tutoring didn’t always have easy access to books. Today, we have libraries, bookstores, eBooks, and even online libraries. Accessing books isn’t truly a big problem any longer, but finding time to read might be.
Most students leave school for summer break armed with a list of reading requirements for the next year. Some are ecstatic, some groan. But overall, learning to read, and practicing it, is important for day-to-day life. So, why not ‘assign’ ourselves a summer reading list as well? It will not only set an example for our children but help us to grow and learn ourselves.
We may not think about it much, but implementing time for summer reading is actually beneficial. As kids progress through school, the textbooks and reading requirements can become more difficult. By spending time with books over the summer, it helps build their reading, comprehension, and analytical skills. Books can also help them discover new interests and encourage creativity, boost their self-esteem, and surprisingly, can teach them compassion and empathy for others. As adults, it can help us improve in all of these categories, as well as just giving us an enjoyable break from all the other summer chores we have to accomplish on a daily basis.
To help encourage reading more during the summer, it helps to have a dedicated space – or a Reading Nook, if you will. For kids, you can find a corner of their bedroom and place a comfortable chair – or even a bean bag. You may have an established rule about ‘No food or drinks in the bedroom’, but you may want to amend it slightly if you place their reading nook in there. Sometimes it’s more fun to enjoy a snack while reading, and if handled well, it may even encourage those who don’t enjoy reading to discover it’s actually an enjoyable past time. Place a small table next to the chair and allow them to have a snack and a drink. At the end of the designated reading time, help them to establish the habit of bringing the plate and glass to the kitchen.
The same goes for adults. Having a cozy corner in the living room or your bedroom may just encourage you to read more. You may also want to keep a notebook and pen handy to jot down thoughts and ideas, especially if you are reading for research purposes. You know, like researching ideas for next month’s meal plan and you come across a recipe that sounds perfect.
I even keep a notebook handy when I’m reading fiction. All too often a character may be working on a craft project or in the kitchen cooking something, and it piques my interest. So, I jot down the activity, recipe, and even the title of the book and page number so I can go back and reference it later when I need it.
In addition, it’s also helpful to set aside a Reading Hour. Choose a time during the early afternoon, have everyone go to their Reading Nook with a good book, a cool drink and maybe some cookies or a snack. And set a good example for your kids – use that time for your own reading hour as well. If you have younger children who struggle with reading, this time can be spent together as each of you read a portion of a book. And even strong readers may struggle. When my son was in school, he was assigned The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane. This book is written in the vernacular, which meant understanding what the characters were saying could be difficult at best. To help him out, I got two copies of the book, and he and I both read them separately, and then together. After a couple of chapters, he began to understand it better, and managed to write a decent book report.
You can also make reading even more fun. Once story hour is over, ask the kids to tell you what they read. If the characters in their book are baking cookies, offer to do that with the children. But one word of warning that I learned the hard way. If your child is reading one of those books about Science Experiments to Be Conducted at Home – get ready for a big mess. Those were my son’s favorite books, and we spent quite a bit of time cleaning up after a few of those experiments didn’t work so well.
Now it’s time to figure out what to read. Did you know that there are at least 50, and very possibly almost 100 book genres out there? What that means is there is at least one book in the world that will captivate your interest. So you don’t have the excuse of ‘there’s nothing out there I want to read’ any longer.
Book genres basically fit into one or two categories – fiction and non-fiction. In each category your options are virtually endless.
When you make your list, be sure to choose from both non-fiction and fiction. Non-fiction would include things like biographies, autobiographies, crafts, cookbooks, memoirs, and in my case, farming, and craft history. Fiction would be mysteries, humor, romance, suspense, and other subjects that pertain to imaginary people, places and events.
If you still aren’t sure what to read, start with a trip to the library. Find the section that most appeals to you, and read the back of the book, then one or two chapters. If it’s something that makes you want to keep reading, add it to your stack. If you can’t get past the first page, put it back on the shelf and choose a different book. And be sure to peruse other sections. You may just discover other genres you never thought you would enjoy.
Broaden your horizons by choosing books from both fiction and non-fiction. This year, my TBR (to be read) pile includes a wide range of interests, from Victoria Finlay’s Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World to satisfy my love of history, Gina Barrett’s Buttons: A Passementerie Workshop Manual to help me spread my wings and learn a new craft, and Dawn Combs book, Heal Local, to help me learn more about medicinal herbs. There is also a few mysteries and humor books from the fiction side, for when I need an easy escape from all the heat of the summer.
Still trying to figure out what to read? Then ask yourself a few simple questions at first, such as Do you want to learn a new craft? You can combine reading with doing. You can then take your question a bit deeper. Would you like to combine your interests with fiction? There are great books out there that are fictional but give crafting patterns and recipes in the back of the book.
If you are playing with the idea of starting a new business, there are great books that can give you the pros, cons, and step-by-step directions. On the flip side, you may be at a point in life where you’ve had it with work and your boss. If that’s the case, try the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross, or the Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon. You will laugh hard enough to forget about your troubles for a while.
You may dread having to deal with the heat of the summer, but Margaret McNamara had a great outlook on the written word. Reading is fun. It can also be entertaining, educational, and the perfect way to escape the heat, stretch your mind, and relax for an hour or two. The only real problem you may face is that you might just get to a good part and want to stretch that reading time out to the rest of the day. And if that’s the case, go ahead and keep reading. Just make sure you take a break to refill your lemonade and plate of cookies.
If you want to learn more about living a Simple Life, just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com/ . If you’re enjoying listening to these podcasts, please support the show by clicking the SUPPORT button in the show notes. When you do, you’ll be helping me continue bringing you fun and helpful ideas for living the Simple Life you love!
If you have questions or just want to stop in for a visit, you can do that through email at thevirtualporch@gmail.com. And be sure to subscribe – you don’t want to miss a single conversation. I'll be sitting on the porch every Monday morning waiting for your visit!
Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.
