Great River Regional Library (GRRL) will begin its annual Summer Reading Program (SRP) for children and teens ages 0-18 on Monday, June 13, continuing through August 13. Registration takes place at all 32 GRRL locations beginning June 13.
The goal of the SRP is to encourage reading and to keep young readers reading during the summer months. Various studies have shown that:
• Reading over the summer prevents summer loss of reading skills
• Summer loss of reading skills is cumulative. Children do not catch up in the fall because the other children are moving ahead with their skills. By the end of sixth-grade, children who lose reading skills over the summer can be two years behind their classmates
• Children who enroll in library summer reading programs maintain or improve their reading skills more than those who do not
• Self-selection of reading materials is an important factor in motivating struggling readers and is a key component for most summer library programs
Each GRRL location will offer summer programs aimed at three different age groups, 0 to 3, 3 to 12, and grades 6 to 12. Three-year-olds and 11 to14-year-olds may choose which program they would like to be in. Children under 3 must do the Read-to-Me program. Participants may only be in one SRP.
Note: Visiting and vacationing children who do not live in the GRRL area are welcome to participate in the SRP. All books and reading materials count for the program, even materials that do not belong to the library. The programs are:
“One World, Many Stories – Read to Me” for children from 0-3
The 0-3 program for babies and toddlers prepares children for continued success through the development of early language skills. It’s a program designed to help kids develop the first and essential building blocks to literacy such as letter knowledge and vocabulary. Parents receive a Read-to-Me reading record to complete for their children. The completed and signed reading record can be returned to the library for a prize drawing for parents who engage their children in early literacy skills.
“One World, Many Stories” for children ages 3 – Grade 6
The age 3 through sixth-grade program provides children with an incentive to continue reading throughout the summer. Participants receive reading record slips on which they record every hour they read. When a slip has been completed with five hours of reading, it may be turned in and the child can begin another. Children are encouraged to complete and turn in as many reading records as they want. Each completed reading record may be turned in for a chance to win local incentive drawings and regional grand prize drawings.
“You Are Here” for teens in grades 6-12
The teen program asks teens to track their reading in 30-minute segments which they mark on coupon sheets they then enter for local and regional incentive drawings. Reading books, magazines, graphic novels and newspapers counts for this program. Each coupon sheet covers four hours of reading. Participants may turn in multiple completed sheets.
Programming
Many library events are happening at all GRRL locations to celebrate the program all summer long! Exciting programs are being funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds, such as performances by GREAT Theatre, creative craft programs from ArtStart, ventriloquism classes, and mosaics workshops. Check out the Events page at www.griver.org for dates and times and to pre-register for some events, or speak with staff at your local library.
Great River Regional Library (GRRL) provides library services at 32 public libraries in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties. It provides Central Minnesota residents with nearly 1 million books, CDs and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming and information services.
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