You hear us say it all the time up here on the 2nd floor of the library, "You have to read over the summer, you might as well get prizes for it!"
There is a certain level of enthusiasm that comes along with Summer Reading Club each year on the part of the staff here, but it isn't just because we love putting together the booklists, programs, and picking out prizes... it is because we know just how important reading over the summer is, and we know that our excitement rubs off on the children who come to the library.
As your child's school year winds down, take the time to read this article by Julie Wood, a literacy expert. Studies show that children who read over the summer do better in school than those who don't, something most of use knew already. But did you know that by middle school, children who don't read over the summer have already lost a total of two full years of reading? That is a lot of time to be behind in a key skill of education.
Julie gives some great tips on how to help your child be ready to read wherever he or she might be and how to get them excited for exercising their 'reading muscle' over the summer. I especially love that she suggests joining a library's summer reading program to encourage your child to read.
We here at DPPL hope that you bring your enthusiasm for summer and reading during it as well. As the person that your child looks to for guidance, it is most important for you to set an example - let your children know how important it is to practice reading (and hey, YOU can get prizes too by joining the adult summer reading club).
We hope to see you in here over the summer, check back for more information on the upcoming Summer Reading Club, Have Book, Will Travel, next week!
