MLJ Summer Reading Program

America’s chil­dren are one quar­ter of our pop­u­la­tion and 100% of our future. The current US literacy rate is 79%, that’s 21% of Americans that are considered illiterate. 61% of families have no children’s books in their homes, which affects the child’s ability to develop the skills to begin reading on their own. 45% of the children in America cannot read at their grade level! Are you shocked? Me too!

Let's play a quick math game. What if I asked you the distance between points (9,1) and (−2,−1) is 5√5 ... would you be able to do it?  This is something we all learned way back when but unless you have been training this part of your brain regularly – this question would take you some time to solve. Children’s learning is no different, and the summer represents a core time when this learning is put on hold.

It's not too late to fight the summer slide!

Reading throughout the summer will help your child retain knowledge and skills learned in school and not fall prey to the summer slide. In addition to reading, we will be gardening, expressing ourselves with sidewalk chalk, creating greeting cards and posters for our senior centers, sea creatures from shells, making edible crystals, scavenger hunts, and book bingo, the list goes on. Our theme this year is Oceans of Possibilities. We are excited to be partnering with the HARDIN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUMS, INC. this year. They are sharing many wonderful things from their collections!

If you are not comfortable coming in, call us and we will reserve your books for you and bring them to the curb. Any questions call 419-673-2278 or email SRP@mljlibrary.org

 

Summer Reading Program

Summer reading is critical for students to retain knowledge and skills learned in the previous school year. Students who don't read are at risk of falling behind their classmates.

Parents and teachers can avoid this by making sure kids take time to read. Reading with your children builds warm and happy associations with books, increasing the likelihood that kids will find reading enjoyable in the future.

Reading at home boosts school performance later on. It also increases vocabulary, raises self-esteem, builds good communication skills, and strengthens the prediction engine that is the human brain.

I have a reluctant reader, what can I do?

A reluctant reader is, quite simply, any student who does not show any interest in reading. These students may actively resist reading, mask their dislike by clowning around or misbehaving when asked to read, become easily frustrated during reading, or need to be coaxed into picking up a book. Allow them to pick the books they will read. Interest is half the battle.

Suggest Audio Books

If children have a hard time reading, suggest they read a few books over the summer to help build their reading skills. At the same time, find books that are also available on audiotape. This can help encourage students to keep reading even if they don't particularly like it. A book on tape or cd still opens up the world of adventure and gives students a boost in literacy skills.

Emphasize the power of choice

One powerful way to engage reluctant readers is to allow them a choice of what to read, thereby giving them ownership of their own learning

Read with your child

Spend time reading with your child. Take 15-20 minutes a day, pull out your book and have your child pull out theirs. Read together.

10 Benefits of Summer Reading Programs

  1. Improve Reading Skills
  2. Increase desire to read
  3. Improve Self-Esteem
  4. Neutralize Summer Learning Loss
  5. Improve Comprehension
  6. Improve Memory Skills
  7. Improves brain connectivity
  8. Increases your vocabulary and comprehension
  9. Empowers you to empathize with other people
  10. Aids in sleep readiness

Benefits of including early learners in the summer reading program:

  • Young children will gain self-confidence and a love for reading, books, and the library
  • The groundwork will be laid for children to become lifelong readers and learners
  • Entire families will have the opportunity to participate in age-appropriate summer reading programs
  • Completion of the program will give children a sense of accomplishment and belonging
  • Parents and caregivers will gain knowledge about early literacy and learning activities at the library that they can continue at home
  • The library may become a community destination for more families during the summer

Benefits of summer reading programming for children:

  • Children are motivated to read.
  • Children develop positive attitudes about reading, books, and the library.
  • Children maintain their reading skills during summer vacation.
  • Children have access to experiences that further their sense of discovery.
  • Children have access to experiences through which they can learn to work cooperatively.

Benefits of teenage programming in a summer reading program:

  • Many teenagers find enjoyment in reading
  • Having high levels of literacy are needed for higher education and future employment
  • Most standardized tests that teenagers will take include a reading comprehension portion.