Book Challenges and Reading Incentives

The past few weeks I have been working on getting my blog set up the way that I want and joining a few blog hops and book challenges.

Because my son is not yet 2, he doesn't really have certain books that he likes over others. I decided to join a few book challenges to help with this. Not only do I have "rules" to follow and my blog readers to hold me accountable, I also have a list to go by for picking out books. This makes it easier for me to find books to share with my son, but it also helps me go out of my comfort zone and find books that I may never have heard of or chosen on my own.

This is a great idea for parents as well. When you have a reluctant reader, a book challenge, with some incentive at the end, may be a good way to get them motivated. You don't have to worry about them not being able to find a book they like-there are book challenges for just about every genre. And when you have a list to follow, it helps to keep you involved as well as your child.

Most book challenges have some general rules, but you can always create your own. Use a book log like this to keep track of your child's reading and have a reward or incentive agreed upon from the beginning. The reward can be a trip to the ice cream shop, a pizza party, or anything that you want. Just be sure to let them choose the incentive.

If your child is not able or chooses not to complete the challenge, still praise them for what they did accomplish. You want them to know that you are proud of any of their accomplishments, no matter how small.

Do you participate in any book challenges or read-a-thons with your child? What types of incentives do you offer? Be sure to let me know in the comments.