Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Smokey the Bear

11am June 5- We will have various vehicles and machinery for kids to explore as well as police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who will be available to talk about how to care for our community! 

11am June 12- We will have a Petting Zoo where kids can have a hands-on experience with animals and speak with people who are caretakers of animals.  

June 19- CLOSED for Juneteenth, no program

11am June 26- We will have a FOAM party.  Non-toxic suds will be available to play in.  There will be other outdoor activities as well.

No registration is necessary, ALL are welcome. Each week we will have popsicles, popcorn, and water.  On June 5 & June 12 we will have a craft, BINGO, a scavenger hunt, and storytime in addition to above mentioned activities.  Children will have opportunities to earn prizes and will be encouraged to set reading goals.  

We hope to see you there!

HISTORY OF iREAD

The iREAD mission is to provide libraries with the tools to bridge this summer gap, while inspiring literacy and life-long learning.

Since 1981, iREAD has developed successful Summer Reading Programs. Our mission is to provide high quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read. As a coordinated, self-supporting effort developed by librarians and the Illinois Library Association, every purchase from iREAD helps to promote and assist the great work of libraries.

Summer Reading Facts

• The benefits of summer reading are clear. National research from Dominican University finds that students who participate in public library summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year than those who did not participate.

• Parents of children enrolled in the public library summer reading program reported that their children spent more time reading over the summer, read more books, were well prepared for school in the fall, and read more confidently.

• Young people experience learning losses when they don’t engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. Libraries are part of the solution.

• To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. Summer Reading Club reminds kids that reading is for fun—as well as for learning.

• There’s so much to see, so much to do at your library! There’s no better place to take your kids. The library is a place to learn, read, and have fun…a place the whole family can enjoy. In fact, more than 82 million children attend library programs every year.

• Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

• The amount of time children spend reading outside of school is linked to gains in reading achievement. Numerous studies show that access to books and magazines is directly related to higher reading achievement

Source: Dominican University IMLS-funded research: Public Library

Summer Reading Programs Close the Reading Gap