There are many ways to approach the children in order to encourage them to read books. Summer reading programmes activate children of different age groups through various activities.
Summer is always great for having fun, going on vacations, and taking our children to playgrounds, pools or seaside. On the one hand, there are many good things about summer, however on the other hand, there are certain flaws to it. We will try to discuss the children whose will for reading is reduced, in addition to becoming less keen on learning and keeping up with the schoolwork.
National Summer Learning Association, going by that name since 2009, strives for keeping “all the children safe, healthy, and engaged in learning during summer”. Additionally, they claim that “the children from financially challenged families lose those three months of learning, in contrast to the ones from financially capable backgrounds”. And there is more to it. Some children do not come back to school. According to the statistic of NSLA, four out of five children do not read by the end of third grade, which increases the probability of dropping out of school in the same amount.
Needless to say, this is something that should be dealt with. What can we do about it?
Bradford County libraries have set a good example by organising summer reading programmes that can be of great use to children. What is important to note is that this service is for free. That way, children get used to a sense of responsibility and the value of continuous learning, which is fundamentally important for them to understand and apply.
We should also state that Bradford County libraries have organised a hero-themed programme this year titled: “Every Hero Has His Story”. In contrast to other libraries that focus on the society the hero lives in, this programme focuses on the hero himself.
There are many ways to approach the children in order to encourage them to read books. The programmes activate children of different age groups through various activities as crafts or tea parties, among others. This attractive topic imposes the need to explore the heroes and their values on parents, and in doing so, show their children their own conception of right and wrong. Children would surely benefit from this way of identification that is primarily initiated by their parents, which only demonstrates this programme’s importance and complexity.
The programmes are designed to keep the children engaged in reading and learning throughout the whole summer, preventing them from being idle and away from books. It is important to hand the books to the children through fun and games, motivating them to perceive learning as entertaining, and not as tiresome.
Additionally, it is important that the parents themselves understand the importance of taking their children to Bradford County libraries, or wherever similar programmes are offered. There should be similar programmes everywhere, however if there are none available, parents could use their creativity to have their children learn through having fun and playing games.
It is in no way pleasant to know that even today there are illiterate people, and it’s even worse if those are children. It can’t be their fault; therefore we must show them that we can work on that together, and only together!
