Our view: Summer reading boosts learning year round

Our View: Summer Reading Boosts Learning Year Round
St. Augustine.com

We now know one of the secrets why many St. Johns County youth do so well on Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Tests. They know how to read well and that means they are reading all the time, not just in the classroom. Kudos to parents and teachers for that extra effort during the school year.

We also believe that many of those good readers participate in the annual summer reading programs sponsored by St. Johns County Public Library System, too.

This week, the library system launched its summer reading programs. They are free and it's not too late to sign up. And as an incentive for participation, prizes will be awarded too. Adults can get in on the fun with their own reading contest.

So we suggest to parents that they shut down those computer games for a few hours and take their children to the neighborhood think tank, the local library. There their children can get their reading logs and tips on good reads for the summer. When a child is read to each day or reads a book each day, they get to check off that day on the reading log. If they attend a summer library program, that counts too. Then at the end of the week, they show their log at the library and get a prize. The kids and teen contests end Aug. 6.

As we said, the library system hasn't forgotten us adults. For the second year, the county is offering a summer reading contest for adults 18 and over.

"Novel destinations" is its name. To enter the contest, each reader has to write a review of each book read. The more books someone reads the more entries in the contest to win a $140 Visa gift card. Branches will also offer their own prizes, too. Who doesn't enjoy a contest? And if the reader is OK with it, their review will be published by the library system. Who doesn't fancy themselves as a published book reviewer?

The book review forms are available at the library and online. The deadline for entries is midnight, Aug. 5.

You have to have a library card to participate but those are easy to get. Just bring identification that you live in St. Johns County to the library and the library cards are issues free to adults and children. Books of all kinds including books for e-readers are available through the library system.

Readers are always leaders.

Reading for fun and prizes

The main library website is www.sjcpls.org. Information is also available there for Novel Destinations, the adult summer reading contest.

For kids zone and summer reading information, click on www.sjcls.org/content/kids-zone.