Happy New Year from the Litchfield Public Library! With each New Year, I like to spend a little time reflecting on the past year and thinking about the year to come. In the past, as part of this ritual, I have included reading goals. I have used reading challenge lists, notebooks for lists, and various apps to track my reading. I like to use the Goodreads app because it is quick to add a title and it keeps track of what I have read throughout time, but this only works when I remember to add the titles that I am reading to the app.
As I have been reflecting on the year 2020, remembering the stressful and even scary times we have had this year, I am also remembering the good times and silver linings. This makes me think that perhaps, rather than trying to reach a number goal for reading I will focus more on the experience of reading. With everything that must be done each day trying to hit number goals for reading can have its downfalls. Yes, it does help some of us to stay on track and keep reading but it can also cause added stress. When trying to hit numbers, I find that I also will skip over books that might take too long to read (I say that I am saving them for later) and chose more fluffy reads that I can get through quickly just so I can reach my reading quotas.
Creating reading lists and goals for children can be a fun way to help encourage children to keep reading. But like adults, it’s about finding the right balance and method for tracking their reading. We do not want reading to become a chore or an “I have to” experience as it takes the joy of reading away. The main goal is to create an encouraging and supportive environment for children to explore books in their way. This way children grow to love reading and will continue to read throughout their lives. However, here are a few low-stress, easy, and fun options to help children to track their reading:
- A blank calendar where the child can write down the number of minutes or the title of the book that they read each day
- A sticker chart: for time read or to mark off chapters in a book or even to mark off titles.
- Let them decorate a notebook and they can start a list of the titles they read in the notebook.
- Older children and teens can track their reading in an app or make a Google Sheet.
- Find any number of reading challenges listed online for children and teens. Many have printable logs. Check with your library if there are any current reading challenges available.
The Litchfield library has a winter nonfiction reading challenge for children and teens. This kicked off on Monday, Jan. 4. You can get your reading log by printing it off from the library’s website or request a copy of the log at your next curbside pickup or 15-minute browsing appointment. Instructions for the reading challenge are included in the reading logs.
Make sure to check out the library’s website for current library news, programs, and services. And to print off reading logs for the nonfiction reading challenge for your children and teens.
To make reading a stress-free activity, this year I am going to focus on just reading the titles I want to read and settle into the full experience of each book rather than trying to hit a number goal. What are your 2021 reading plans? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
Until next time, happy reading!
