‘Summer Reading Rocks’ Event on June 9
The City of Delray Beach Kicks-off Summer Reading Campaign with ‘Summer Reading Rocks’ Event on June 9
Family-friendly program to encourage summer reading and provide books for children
DELRAY BEACH, FL, June 1, 2018 – The City of Delray Beach in partnership with the Delray Beach Public Library is ready to help beat the “summer slide” with the Summer Read Rocks event on Saturday, June 9 from 10 am to 12 pm at the Delray Beach Library located at 100 West Atlantic Avenue. Open to children from pre-school to sixth grade, this free program will highlight the importance of reading over the summer in a fun interactive way.
“As a lifelong lover of books and of reading, I am encouraging all Delray Beach students to attend every planned activity to make this summer a fun time and “rock” into the new school year”, says Deputy Vice-Mayor Shirley Johnson. “Be sure to participate in the book reading contest, become a member of the Summer Book Club and be a part of the Summer Reading Rocks program. Don’t be a “summer slider” but a “summer reading rocker”. Looking forward to seeing all the parents and students at the event.”
The Summer Reading Rocks program is one of the on-going initiatives the City supports as part of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, which helped the City win the 2017 All-America City Award. Studies show that children who do not read during the summertime can lose up to two months of reading skills, which puts them behind at the beginning of the school year.
“The City continues its commitment to help the community understand the importance of children reading by third grade, as that is the pivotal year when a child moves from learning to read to read to learn,” says Jane Meeks, the City’s Education Coordinator. “Missing this milestone can have long term effect on academic outcomes. National studies support access to books over the summer can counteract the summertime learning slide with economically disadvantaged children benefiting the most.”
The program will also feature a special act by Rockstar 101, a high-energy performance group that uses music and dance to empower children through self-expression. In addition, each child will be provided lunch ang receive a book to take home.
“As librarians we work with parents and children to show them that it is easy and important to set aside time every day to read—to read for pleasure, for information and the vicarious thrill of living in an imaginary world”, states Ilene Glickman, Children’s Librarian of the Delray Beach Public Library. “Children need to engage with books every day, so they can maintain, and ideally strengthen, all the literacy skills they learned during the previous school year. Each year loss of reading skills compound so by the time a child reaches middle school they many have lost as much as two years’ worth of achievement.”
“Reading is so important to all of us and especially to the generations to come,” adds Pastor Kelcey Brooks Sr. of Praise and Worship City Church and supporter of the Summer Reading Rocks event. “I believe that to conquer success in anything, reading is the important antidote. Thank you to all that have worked so hard and diligently to make this event happen.”
For more information on additional summer reading activities, contact the Delray Beach Public Library at 561-266-0194.