Wanted: More readers for library program

Denise Fernandez and daughter Emma, 9, have participated in the library’s summer reading program since Emma was 3.

“I could sit her on my lap, and she would be very content to just listen to book after book,” Fernandez said.

The family stops by the library every Monday morning during the summer to choose books and update Emma’s summer reading log. Though Emma is busy with other summer activities, reading is a top priority.

“It just keeps her in practice for school next year,” Fernandez said. “She likes to read, and I want to keep that going.”

Participating in a summer reading program can counter the potential setback students otherwise might experience.

“It’s essentially a change in student performance from spring to fall,” Sharon Hoge, literacy facilitator at West Boulevard Elementary, said. “The bottom line is kids aren’t always reading with the same proficiency in the fall. That’s generally because they aren’t doing things in the summer to keep those skills up.”

Research published in the School Library Journal concluded that students who participate in a summer reading program are more likely to read at their grade level than nonparticipants. In the 2001 study, five Southern California public libraries summer reading programs were observed. Following the reading programs, teachers evaluated performance of more than 900 students. Thirty-three percent of summer reading program participants read above their grade level, compared to 18 percent of nonparticipants.

Hoge said the setback may be more pronounced because of an increased focus on testing students in the spring and fall on their reading skills.

“Because we have so much assessment, it’s easy to see where kids have dropped back some,” Hoge said.

On Monday, Lisa Pritchett’s two children, Matthew, 8, and Sarah, 11, signed up for the library’s summer reading program for the second year. Sarah has always enjoyed reading, but it took Matthew a while to learn to like it.

“Matthew likes to read now that he’s found a chapter book series he enjoys,” Pritchett said. “It was a matter of finding things he was interested in and constantly bringing him into the library and showing him the different types of books.”

Hoge said the beginning readers should ideally read or be read to for 10 to 15 minutes a day. Elementary students should ideally read about 30 minutes a day, and junior high and high school students should try to read 30 to 45 minutes a day.

Last year, more than 2,000 students participated in a Columbia Public Library summer reading program. Sarah Howard, children and youth services coordinator at the library, hopes to enroll close to 3,000 students this summer.

“With reading, you have to practice,” Howard said. “It’s a life-long skill, not something you do just occasionally. The idea is to continually get them to read over the summer, but not be too overwhelming.”