Reading Chart - free printable

UPDATE: I updated my reading chart and posted the new one here. It has better squares and looks more like a board game. 

I originally made this for my kids for a "summer reading chart" but by the time I got around to finishing it school was about to start. 

Lucky me, we can still use it because my little first grader daughter has to read for 15 minutes every night. 

I personally struggled with reading as a young child. I specifically remember being in first grade and sitting at the kitchen counter, while my mom was cooking dinner, and I was trying desperately to read a basic "Spot the Dog" book and breaking down into tears because I couldn't do it. Reading was so frustrating. Today I love to read and always have a book close by, but I'm still a slow reader, but that's fine with me, it means I can enjoy the book longer. :) 

So if you need some motivation to help your little readers I made these reading charts / board games.

I love how the kids turned out, but am not loving the squares, I should have used my program to make straight lines instead of free handing it. I might redo it.

This is the one my children specifically asked for. Their favorite place to go is a play zone that has a rocket theme, so that is their prize. 

(If you would like this printable - click on picture and save to your computer)

I made a reading chart with a generic prize reward that could represent just about anything.

I just really liked this school building doodle. 

Here are my cute little ones headed to school. I always base my drawings off them, that's why the little girls are usually blond with a pony tail and the boys have a mop of brown hair. 

While they are the same size, our little girl is actually 2 years older. Our little boy is really tall like his dad. 

IDEAS:

We used stickers to mark off each day they read. You could also use check marks or amount of time they read. 

Since it looks like a board game you could write in little prizes along the way, "Ice cream" "Movie Night" "Go to the Zoo" etc. 

Each square can represent reading at least one book per day (little children) or reading 30 minutes (older children).

There are 31 squares so you could print one of these off for each month

Where did I get this idea? I actually googled "Summer reading chart" and found a lot of great charts but I really like this great idea found at womenlivingwell.org. In her blog she explains that each small sticker represents each of her children.  Check out her blog for more details. 

So after finding this idea and adding my own doodles to it, this is how it turned out. 

Everything important goes on my fridge. 

 What's funny is that I spent all that time drawing and editing on my computer and my little girl made her own that she likes just as much. But you have to admit hers does look pretty awesome.