The Chestermere Public Library annual Summer Reading Program is keeping youth in the community entertained and increasing reading comprehension levels throughout the summer.
“What we’ve found especially with kids is their reading comprehension goes down quite a bit over the summer if they are not reading. We find that this is one way to combat that,” said the Chestermere Public Library Acting Director Cathy Burness.
“For a lot of people reading is a family activity where everyone will sit down and read,” she said.
The Summer Reading Program participants are asked to track the amount of time they read throughout the summer for a chance to win a variety of prizes.
“It’s different this year because it’s all online,” Burness said.
“We also have a lot of the Summer Reading Program activities that go along with the programming, and that’s a big help for parents to keep the kids entertained,” she said.
Adding, “We just can’t do that this year, we’re trying to do other things, but we can’t have the inhouse programming that we would normally have.”
This year, the Summer Reading Program has roughly 100 registered participants and has received a lot of interest from library users.
“It’s something that the kids look forward too, everyone loves the prizes, but they are very aware that there are only ever six or eight prizes,” Burness said.
“It’s about the reading, but it’s also about the activities,” she said.
In addition to the Summer Reading Program, and various eResources available online, the Chestermere Public Library is now offering book grab and go bags of specific themes and reading levels.
“If people come in and they aren’t sure what to pick up for someone, we do have things packaged up and ready to go,” Burness said.
“We’re trying to make sure we can supply as many people with the reading material that they want,” she said.
To register for the Summer Reading Program, please visit the Chestermere Public Library website
