More Than Fun and Games: The Secret Behind Summer Reading
Every summer, thousands of children and teens from birth through age 18 sign up for the Crown Point Community Library’s Summer Reading Program. They’ll attend exciting programs, earn prizes, discover new books, and cheer on their schools in our community-wide reading competition to see which school logs the most reading hours.
From the outside, it may look like a season filled with fun and games—and it is. But Summer Reading is about much more than entertainment. Behind every storytime, every book checked out, every reading log completed, and every hour recorded is a larger purpose: helping students stay engaged in learning during the summer months.
Educators often refer to the “summer slide”, the loss of academic skills and knowledge that can occur when students are away from structured learning for an extended period. Reading is one of the most effective ways to combat that slide. Just a few minutes of reading each day can help children retain critical literacy skills, strengthen comprehension, expand vocabulary, and maintain the learning momentum they’ve built throughout the school year.
That is why the library invests so heavily in Summer Reading.
Our goal is not simply to fill summer days with fun, free, family-friendly activities. Our goal is to help students return to school in August ready to succeed. When children continue reading throughout the summer, they arrive back in the classroom with stronger skills, greater confidence, and a head start on the new school year. Not school yet, the same activities help to build the skills children need to be kindergarten-ready.
Just as importantly, Summer Reading helps nurture something that lasts far beyond a single summer: a love of reading. Children who discover books they enjoy are more likely to become lifelong readers, curious learners, and engaged citizens. Those are benefits that extend well beyond school and into every stage of life.
So yes, Summer Reading is packed with fun programs, friendly competition, and memorable experiences. But at its heart, it is one of the most important educational initiatives the library offers each year.
This summer, every page turned matters. Every minute spent reading counts. And every child who participates is building skills and habits that can last a lifetime.
P. S. The library also provides an Adult Summer Reading Program, too!
