BATESVILLE — Through an Independence County Library program, Batesville-area children can strengthen their relationship with reading, even when school is out for the summer.
The Summer Reading Program, geared toward preschoolers to sixth-graders, will run through June and July, and will reward students on achieving their personal reading goals. The free program is based on the honor system, and registration will begin Wednesday at the library, 368 E. Main St.
This year’s theme, established by the Collaborative Summer Library Program, is On Your Mark, Get Set … Read!
“Children come in and register and pledge how many books they plan to read over the summer,” said Vanessa Adams, library director. “When they do that, they receive a gift. They get a gift each week based on their reading progress.”
Children are encouraged to visit the library each week to update the record of their reading. Weekly prizes relate to this year’s sports theme and could include wristbands, water bottles, bicycle lights and more, Adams said. If children have met their reading goal at the end of the program, they will receive a surprise grand prize and a T-shirt based on this year’s theme. Children will have until Aug. 10 to pick up their prizes.
Adams said the library went “all out” for prizes this year, and the grand prize strays away from what’s typically been awarded.
“We’ve always done books, but this year, we’re doing something different,” she said.
Each Wednesday beginning June 8, Charlotte Pillow, a retired school librarian, will hold
Ms. Charlotte’s Story Hour at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the library. At 10 a.m., Ms. Charlotte’s Story Hour will present a story, crafts and live performance for preschoolers; at 2 p.m., the same will be presented with themes more suited for first- through sixth-graders.
“It’s anything from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus to Dr. Seuss,” Adams said.
Ms. Charlotte’s Story Hour will end July 27. Many children record their weekly reading progress at the library when they stop by for story time, Adams said.
The Independence County Library has held the Summer Reading Program for more than 20 years and has seen over 400 children participate over the past couple of years, Adams said. She hopes up to 450 kids will pledge in the program this year.
“It’s fun, and all these kids look forward to it,” Adams said. “We don’t even have to advertise any more.”
She said the library encourages children to not pledge to read too many books because it creates too much pressure on them.
“We all tell kids, ‘Don’t pledge more than 10 because that’s more than one a week,’” she said. “If they have time to read more, that’s good. We’ve never had children who haven’t met their goal.”
The Summer Reading Program has been known to help children’s relationship with reading during the school year and beyond, Adams said.
“I have had parents of children who are in law school tell me their children started reading young, and the Summer Reading Program encouraged that,” she said.
Adams also said the program is a great way to bring children to the library and might be the only time of year that some children can get to the library. She encourages families to bring their children in for registration the first week of June so the library can have enough materials to accommodate each child.
“If they skip a week [of recording their progress], it’s OK,” she said. “They won’t get kicked out of the program.”
Adams said the library plans to move to a new location next year and create more branches to have a larger reach in the community. She said children are always enthusiastic about the reading program each year, and she hopes they see reading as an activity that’s not limited to the classroom.
“I hope that they appreciate reading because it’s fun, not just educational,” Adams said. “I want them to have fun, and I want them to see that reading can be for pleasure, and hopefully, they’ll continue to do it.”
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.