Ah, the summer months. For those with children (and those
still holding onto the ‘inner-child’), these are the months filled with
water-soaked hair, animated movies, and never-too-many freeze-pops. However,
between the sleepovers and the sleeping-in, summer provides an ample amount of
time every teacher’s biggest worry – forgetting. Accounting for a significant
loss in literacy rates, the annual 3-month break brings for teachers a required
catch-up session every fall. For low-income students, this decline is even
steeper than with their middle-income peers, serving as a strong contributing
factor to the achievement gap.
Here in York, there are plenty of opportunities for parents
and grandparents and siblings and aunts and uncles to engage with the youth in
their life in order to maintain their reading level during the sleepy summer
months. Check out a few of the resources below to get started:
Looking
for something this weekend? Check out a reptile show, puppet show, and
lots of local vendors at Gifford Pinchot State from 10 am – 2 pm this Saturday,
July 13th all sponsored by the York County Libraries.
Know a
youth in high school? Check out York Libraries’ “Money $chool” that
just started! Pre-registration is required so head here -> http://www.yorklibraries.org/web/guest/money-school for
more information.
Want to
hone your child’s writing skills? Check out this summer writing
contest for 5th and 6th graderssponsored by the Library
of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/kids-teachers/booksthatshape/
Have
some time to spare? Join the York County Literacy Program and York
County Libraries in their literacy tutoring efforts by volunteering your time.
Check out http://www.yorklibraries.org/york-reads for
more information!
Looking
for an event the whole family can join? Check out the York County
Libraries’ Summer Reading Club. Watch the video below and look for more
information at your local library!
