The YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge

Reading.  It's always been one of my first loves, probably since I came out of the womb.  If you were to ask my mother what things she never saw me without, I have no doubt that her reply would be: "A notebook, a pen and a book."  Thankfully, my children have inherited my same love and adoration for the written word.  And this summer, we want to help you and your family do the same by asking you to join in The YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge!

Why Are We Challenging Your Family To Read?

It's simple.  Reading is important!  Regardless if you or child like to read or dread it like a visit to the dentist office, reading is a fundamental part of our everyday lives.  We are parents read our children's homework and school papers, we read road signs when we drive and many of us have to read on our jobs. For these reasons alone, we should show an interest in reading, but the most important reason by far for us to enjoy reading is to help our children become good readers.

Did you know that in many areas students now have to pass an end-of-the-year reading competency test?  Did you also know that some of those school districts are requiring children who do not or cannot read on or at their current grade level to repeat that same grade an additional year?  The fact of the matter is that schools are now requiring more from students than they did when we were school and definitely more than was required of our parents.  As Moo's principal put it at her kindergarten graduation, "Parents, you may have noticed that kindergarten is the new first grade." 

So depending on the teacher ALONE to teach your child everything he or she needs to know in my opinion would be doing your child (and yourself) a great disservice.  In fact, I'd go as far to say that to do so would be foolish.  We are our children's first teachers and our job to teach and instruct our children doesn't stop when they start school.  If nothing else, we need to be partnering with teachers and coming up with specific game plans on how to help our children continue to excel and reach their highest potential.  The key to helping them reach that potential is starting with reading.

How do you participate in the YUMMommy 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge?

Well, I'm glad you asked.  It's really quite easy.  All you and your family have to do is read 100 books in total between now and August 18th.  Now I know you may thinking that 100 books seems like a lot, but it's not.  Let's say your daughter reads one book, your son reads two books to you before bed and you finish that juicy crime mystery novel today, that counts as a total of four books read.  See how fast books can add up?!  100 books before the end of summer is totally doable!

I've even decided to help make it easy for you and family to keep up with how many and what books you've read.  Below are two printables.  The first is printable is graph with 100 blocks on it.  Simply coloring in a block each time you and family completely finish a book.  Don't forget that while reading individually is good, reading with your children or encouraging our older children to read with their younger siblings is better.  Plus, who can doesn't need more family bonding time.  And it's a great way to witness and keep track of your child's reading progress.

Just right click and save/print.

The second printable is a reading log.  Counting both the white and turquoise spaces, you can record 19 books on each reading log.  So print out two pages for each family member and get to reading!

Right click to save & print

Be sure to follow the #100Books hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to keep up with what the YUMMommy family will be reading.  Also, feel free snap pictures of you and your little ones reading and tag them using the hashtag as well!  Stop back by on Wednesday as I'll be sharing a list of books Moo and JJ will be reading this summer for our family reading challenge. (View the list here)

What's on your summer reading list?