Red Cloud Library in Greeley Hill, Mariposa County, California
June 2015 - SACRAMENTO - Since summer is nearly here, now’s the time to make sure “summer slide” isn’t going to be part of it. Luckily, there’s a simple – absolutely free – way to prevent “summer slide” available in any of California’s 1,112 libraries.
There’s 100 years of studies and data showing that when kids don’t participate in some educational activity during the summer, their test scores are lower in the fall.
Like other muscles, if the brain isn’t exercised, it isn’t as strong.
Kids who start the new school year without exercising their brains during the summer begin behind their peers, for which they’ll be playing the difficult game of catch-up.
And after a couple years, particularly for kids in under-served communities, those kids just fall behind. There are a number of programs offered at public libraries providing plenty of summer brain exercise. Math workshops. Coding courses. But the brain exercise anyone can do anytime almost anywhere is reading.
It’s that simple: Keep reading, prevent summer slide.
Except it isn’t easy for everyone to get access to libraries. Many lower income families don’t have books at home and that just makes the impact of summer slide worse. By 5th Grade, low-income students who haven’t been reading over the summer are two years behind their classmates.
As part of California’s summer reading efforts, First Book -- a national non-profit aimed at placing books into the hands of kids -- is partnering with libraries around the state to get more books to those at-risk kids. Helping First Book helps them help more kids.
Libraries are offering all kinds of awesome reading programs for kids of all ages this summer.
The California Library Association’s “Read to the Rhythm” campaign, for kids and adults, is being conducted by numerous libraries. Other libraries operate their own reading programs. The association has set a goal of getting 1 million kids involved in a summer reading program this year. One million kids is roughly 10 percent of the 18-years-old or under in California.
Because libraries love challenges, an extra effort is being made to reach kids in homeless shelters, teen mothers and fathers, homeschoolers and non-English speaking kids and teens.
Reading is the most cost-effective and far-reaching investment in human capital that can be made because it returns such rich dividends.
So make reading a part of your summer vacation. Help First-Book provide more books to more kids. Ask your local library about its programs for readers of all ages.
Just turn to Page One and put the brakes on summer slide.
About the California State Library: Founded in 1850, the California State Library is the central reference and research library for the Governor’s office, Legislature, state employees, and the general public. The State Library leads and promotes innovative library services by providing and managing state and federal funding programs to ensure all Californians have access via their libraries to information and educational resources.
