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Blueberries for Sal - 2022 Reading Printables

Blueberries for Sal - 2022 Reading Printables

Summer is here! It’s time for berry picking, pool days, popsicles, and (drumroll)…summer reading! There is something special about summer reading that we always look forward to.  School is out, lazy afternoons are here, and books are abundant.  

To help you keep reading motivation strong all summer long, we’ve created a few fun printables for you. Inspired by the classic summertime story, Blueberries for Sal, we’ve designed a wall print, a tracking sheet, and punch cards that your whole family can use to tally the hours you spend reading this summer. 

The tracking sheet is a coloring page that encourages the whole family to participate. The words in the center - “Summer is for Berries and Books” - are outlined and ready to be colored in as you make progress. We’ve left the goals and milestones up to you so you can set ones that are the right fit for your family. The berries in the bushes at the base of the print can be colored one by one to show how many books your family reads over the course of the summer. Print it as large as 18x24 at a printshop or 8.5x11 or smaller on your home printer. 

Choose a big prize that the whole family is eager about and write it at the base of the tracking sheet. Remember, big doesn’t have to mean expensive, just special. (We’ll include a few ideas at the bottom of this post.) Whatever you decide on, make it exciting. If there’s a wonderful prize at the end, the kids will be more motivated to reach for books instead of the remote. 

Next, decide on your units of measurement. Will you track minutes read, pages read, books read, etc? You might like to divide the words on your tracking sheet into sections that coordinate with your goals. Divide the letters into sections, shade them whole, or draw lines straight across the words and fill them with color all at once like water pouring into a glass.

 

Last, start tracking! The individual punch cards double as a handy bookmark and allow everyone to keep track of their own time. They also serve as milestone markers, a good spot to give an extra boost of praise and encouragement. When a punch card is full, a little prize can be redeemed (if you need some ideas, we’ll include some for these below, too.) Remember to record the reading from your punch card on the family chart and then start a new one.

We hope these printables are helpful to you and your family this summer. It’s our mission to normalize slowing down and connecting with each other, cultivating moments of connection, and encouraging empathy and compassion. Your family reading culture creates space in daily life for these things to happen. (And coincidentally also strengthens academic skills in all areas, improves mental health, and encourages healthier relationships.) Good job, friend! You're setting your kids up for all kinds of success.

DOWNLOAD YOUR PRINTABLES HERE

Share what you're reading this summer by using the hashtag #asummerforthebooks. We'll be sharing our recommendations, too, so follow along. Happy summer and happy reading!

Big Family Prize Ideas: a family camping trip, a day trip to the beach, a trip to the new ice cream place you’ve been wanting to try, a pool party, a family sleepover, a “YES” day, a giant board game marathon, a visit to a farm, a family picnic in a favorite place, go to a museum, go berry picking and make treats out of your spoils.

Small Milestone Prize Ideas: stay up past your bedtime, a popsicle, choose what’s for dinner, one-on-one time with a loved one, choose the movie for movie night, a balloon, a new art supply, paint your nails, make s’mores, a little extra screen time, first pick of the pool toys, choose the music for the day.



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