A guest post from Sarah Keating:
Stacks of shiny folders, piles of lunch boxes, and (adorable!) outfits are back in every store window—the new school year is just around the corner! Woo-hoo! My soon-to-be first grader and I are already debating which carryall will replace last year’s battered Frozen backpack, but there’s something else that also needs freshening up in my house—our bookshelves!
Studies (like this one) show that having books at home is important for school success but it’s also important to have a fresh supply of books moving in (and out!) of our homes. Here are a few family-tested tips to keep in mind:
- Shelve stretch books alongside ones your child already loves. You never know when he or she will be ready to try something new!
- Don’t get rid of easy books too quickly. Sometimes a comforting old favorite is just what a stressed kid needs to relax and unwind.
- Mix up that perfectly alphabetized shelf and reorganize by subject (or even color!). The new arrangement will draw attention to books your child may not have noticed.
- Organize a book swap with neighbors or family members to get rid of books your child has outgrown and bring in some new favorites!
Of course, books can be expensive (which is the last thing we need at back-to-school time), but for the fourth year, Kellogg’s and Scholastic are working together to make bringing new books into our homes easier!
All you need to do is keep your eye out for packages of Kellogg’s cereals, frozen foods, and snacks (available everywhere). When you collect three boxes with the phrase “FREE BOOK” on the front, you can use the codes inside at the website www.scholastic.com/kellogg to receive free Scholastic books—there are more than 50 titles to choose from for kids of all ages (including bilingual and Spanish choices)! The boxes are on store shelves now and the promotion is running through the fall. Check out www.freebookoffer.com for more details.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and don’t let your family bookshelf gather dust!
