Program Goals

• Motivate children to read
• Develop positive attitudes about reading and books
• Enable children to maintain their reading skills during summer vacation
• Encourage regular use of the library
• Attract new users to the library
• Promote the library's services and mate­rials to the community
• Foster cooperation between community agencies
• Offer experiences through which children can learn to work cooperatively

Why Summer Reading Programs Matter

The importance of summer reading to a child's level of performance in school each year is well documented. 

Summer Reading Prevents Summer Learning Loss
Students who participate in a summer reading program have better reading skills at the end of third grade and score higher on standardized tests than students who do not participate.

Summer reading loss is cumulative.
By the end of 6th grade, children who consistently lose reading skills over the summer will be years behind their classmates. Reading just 5 books over the summer can prevent summer learning loss.

Reading and the Achievement Gap
The more children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students who read widely, recreationally and frequently out-perform those who do not and are higher achievers than students who read rarely and narrowly.

• Children who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma than proficient readers.
• Rich, engaging and free educational activities like summer reading programs are excellent tools to address the achievement gap. More than half of the achievement gap between lower and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities.
• Children living in poverty are more likely to lose reading skills over the summer than children whose families are more affluent. Ensuring that books are available to any child at any time of the year is a necessary step towards closing the reading achievement gap. Regular access to public libraries can make the difference between their summer setback and summer success.

Reading for Pleasure Increases Interest in Reading
Summer Reading programs encourage young children and families to read regularly. Summer reading programs help increase young people’s interest in reading. Students who read for fun every day score the highest on reading assessment tests.

• Summer reading programs encourage parents to read with their children and highlight the joys of reading aloud. Reading aloud to children at an early age is the most effective way to help them learn language and to communicate with the written word.
• Children who have easy access to books read more books. Free, voluntary reading is essential to helping students become better readers, writers, and spellers and to grow into healthy, productive adults.
• Students read more when they can choose materials based on their own interests. Self-selection, access to books, and sharing books are essential factors in reading motivation and are key elements of summer reading programs.
• Reading empowers critical thinking skills, enhances empathy and leads to greater understanding of people who are different from ourselves, and it can help us appreciate other points of view.