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SAN JUAN ISLAND LIBRARY |
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We Love Summer!
What comes to your mind when you think of summer? For us at the library it is Summer Reading Program! Starting this Tuesday the 19th we will begin our celebration of summer by providing fun ways for our kids to keep reading even though school is out. It’s always busy and crazy and we love it. There are prizes, reading logs, weekly performers, and of course books. And the best part is it’s not just for kids this year. In addition to our traditional children and teen programs, adults can now get in on the fun and log their reading to win great prizes! Why do we put so much energy and emphasis on this? It’s been such a mainstay of library services that I think people have stopped even asking this basic question. Summer reading programs began in the 1890s as a way to encourage school children to read during their summer vacation and to develop not only the habit of but also the love of reading. Numerous studies have shown over and over again that summer reading programs help children maintain and improve essential reading and learning skills over the summer break. One such study by a research firm, Evaluation and Training Institute, shows children participating in a summer reading program are more likely to read at their grade level or above than non-participating children, and those reading above grade level are more likely to retain those skills into the next school year. Additionally teachers interviewed for the study said about 33 percent of summer reading participants were more likely to read above grade level, compared to about 18 percent of non-participants. I found a quote stating "If you can read, thank a teacher. If you love to read, thank a librarian." I certainly don’t want to take anything away from the many ways teachers inspire a love of reading, but the quote does get at the heart of summer reading at the library. Summer reading programs are all about reading for the fun of it. We can offer a way for kids can have fun reading books without the pressures that inevitably come with the classroom. I am excited to add an adult program because of the positive power of modeling reading for our children. Starting June 19th everyone can come to the library to register for summer reading. Children of ages through grade 5 will need to get their reading log to get started. Teens and adults can come in to sign up in advance or simply start reading. Teens will earn a prize for every hour of reading and adults will earn a chance for a prize with every book read. For more information about the adult summer reading program contact Adrienne Bourne by email at abourne@sjlib.org or phone at 378-2798. For more information about the children or teen summer reading program contact Shannan Sword by email at slsword@sjlib.org or by phone at 378-2798. For performance dates of the children’s programs check our webpage at www.sjlib.org/justforkids/summer_reading/main.html.
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