How to encourage reading while on long school breaks!!
If you are planning a trip over the holidays, write to the visitors bureau of the places you will be visiting to ask for information about the area as well as any special attractions. Check out books from the library with any special background information or get brochures from your travel agent. Your child will enjoy helping to read through this information and will be motivated to read as well. Allow your child to offer input on what types of activities he/she would like to engage in while there. You can also incorporate map skills into the plan, by hanging a map on the wall, asking your child to find the locations of your travels and mark the route in which you will get there.
If you are staying home for break, there are still many ways to encourage reading while school is not in session. For example, for every hour or two of reading, reward your child with a fun winter activity with you, such as sledding, baking cookies, or a winter craft. How you set this up would be up to you. In the reading room, we read for 200 minutes to earn a simple "prize" from the prize drawer. It doesn't matter if the child is in Kindergarten or third grade, all the children I work with are quite motivated by this simple reward. It doesn't take much, children just enjoy working towards a goal and then being rewarded.