Now that the school year is a wrap, Plumb Memorial Library is offering their annual summer reading program for local students. This year’s theme is “Dream Big- READ,” a state-sponsored and nationally recognized program, and it features a three-pronged approach to encouraging children to read. “I’m trying to promote family programs, so there are three branches to it,” said Lisa Fuller, the Assistant for Childrens’ Services at Plumb Library. The three parts of the program are age specific. “Dream Big- READ” is designed for kids ages three to nine, “Own The Night” targets children 10-16, and “Between The Covers” is for readers 17 years old and above.
Here’s how the program works. Families can register for free at the library or online at www.readsinma.org/rochester on Saturday, June 16, 2012. Once registered, participants can log the number of books and hours spent reading each week online. Every week, the library will offer special drop-in activities, which include musical performances and prizes award to the students who demonstrate an appetite for reading. But the specifics drop-in days will remain a secret each week, said Fuller, who wants to keep the excitement for the program going all summer.
The books the students read will also count toward their summer requirements for Rochester Memorial School. Fuller is also trying a more self-guided approach, that emphasizes reading for fun, rather than relying on a required number of books for students to finish before coming back to school in the fall. “The focus is on students doing their best, but also having the freedom to read what they want and having fun in the process,” Fuller said. “Interest in reading begins to decline around age eight, so we want to encourage strong reading habits from the beginning.”
Due to early registration that was offered, Fuller said she already has students asking her constantly when they can start logging in their books. “We wanted to get as many kids rolling with this before the end of the school year so they could just jump right into reading and logging their hours. I’ve got kids raring and ready to go,” she said.
By Eric Tripoli
