We all agree that getting children to read is an important part of their intellectual development. But what if your kid would rather gouge his eyes out than pick up that copy of “Great Expectations” you got him at the library last week?After completing a three year analysis on what’s being called the “summer slide” of reading skills among school children, researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have happened upon a significant factor is keeping kids interested in books; let them choose their own reading material.In a study where 852 first and second graders were allowed to choose from over 600 free books, most participants  did not choose books related to their course materials or age range. In fact, Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times reports, one of the most popular books was a biography on Britney Spears.  Not exactly Charles Dickens. But when researchers compared reading test results from these children to a control group who did not receive books, they found that the experimental group had significantly better test scores (especially among the poorest children). It would seem then that a book on Brit is better than no book at all.So rather than picking up every book on your child’s “suggested summer reading list”, it might be worthwhile to let your child choose a book that speaks to his or her interest (even if it is a comic book about a flatulent superhero). Anything that makes reading seem more like fun and less like a chore may contribute to better reading habits and vocabulary later in life.With that in mind, we at Speakaboos are launching our Summer Reading Program — watch any 10 of our storybook videos, submit an entry form listing what you watched, and we’ll send you an Arthur Celebrity Audiobook CD! Happy reading!

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1. New Study: ADHD kids get less sleep
2. Parental Involvement
3. Study: Toddlers more likely to eat food from pictures
4. Summer Reading List and activity ideas
5. Kids read to kids using technology at Chicago Elementary schools