Summer Reading
Our local library has a summer reading program for the younger kids in town. It is very cool and motivating for the students. Each year, it is a little bit different, but here’s the general idea. The kids read books (an obvious step one for a summer reading program). The library kept a large coloring page (shown above displayed by Mikey) at the library. Each time they went to the library, they colored in one picture for each book they had read (or every 20 pages of a longer book). They wrote the title and author below. In Mikey’s case, I wrote the titles for him, and he did the coloring.
For every 5 pictures colored, the child gets a prize. The first prize of the season is always a certificate to the creamery to get an ice cream. Have I mentioned that I love our town? I really do – it’s just the cutest!
That said, this wouldn’t be too expensive or tricky to recreate at home. If your town doesn’t offer a summer reading program, make one at home. Less screen time and more reading time is always a win.
Stay tuned for the creamery post…cows and ice cream; we were in heaven!
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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