Does your child’s reading routine fall apart over school breaks? Whether it’s summer vacation, winter break, or long weekends, keeping kids engaged with books can be tough—but it doesn’t have to feel like homework!
In this episode of the Engaging Reluctant Readers Podcast, Ellen Westbrook shares easy, fun, and low-pressure ways to keep reading in your child’s routine—even when life gets busy. From travel-friendly ideas to screen-free entertainment and book-based outings, you’ll discover practical strategies to help your child stay connected to books without resistance or overwhelm.
What You’ll Learn:
✔ Why reading during breaks matters for confidence and skill retention
✔ Quick, low-pressure ways to fit reading into travel or busy days
✔ How to make family reading time fun and pressure-free
✔ Creative ways to connect books with outings, vacations, and real life
✔ Tools for caregivers, camps, and local library support
⏳ Key Episode Highlights:
[00:01:26] Why reading over breaks matters
[00:02:48] Books as comfort, escape, and everyday habit
[00:03:22] Start small – 10–15 minutes a day is enough
[00:04:03] Make reading a share experience
[00:05:34] Let kids choose what they read
[00:05:59] Gamify reading with easy challenges
[00:06:22] Connect books with real-life outings and travel
[00:08:56] Encourage kids to keep a travel journal
[00:09:21] Get caregivers and camps involved
[00:10:24] Tap into library and bookstore events for fresh ideas
📖 Prefer to Read? Full blog post: https://engagingreluctantreaders.com/2025/04/24/reading-during-school-breaks/
📺 Prefer to Watch? YouTube video version: https://youtu.be/oPTC3oAN8qw
✨ FREEBIE ALERT!
Grab your Reading Bucket List Bundle with 164 creative reading ideas!
📥 Get it here → https://bit.ly/RBLBundle
🎧Love the podcast? Hit the 5⭐to leave a rating & review!
It helps get this podcast out in front of more moms that need to hear it, so we can help more reluctant readers learn to love books and put an end to the nightly battles around reading!
Resources:
Follow on Instagram
Follow the Facebook Page
Join the Engaging Reluctant Readers Tribe (Facebook Group)
Follow on Pinterest
Subscribe to the Engaging Reluctant Readers YouTube Channel
✨Grab your Reading Bucket List Bundle today!
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.