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HOLIDAY HOURS - All libraries will be closed Monday, May 27 2013 for Memorial Day. Learn more
Summer Reading
Get ready for Summer Reading 2013!
What comes to mind when you think about summer? Swimming? Summer camp? Barbecues? Music in the park? This year, why not make reading and sharing books part of your summer fun?
This year summer reading runs from June 11 - August 9. There are reading clubs for all ages, including adults. Summer reading is all online this year, and you can sign up as early as May 21 at www.cmlibrary.org/summerread. Plus, we`ll have exciting programs in library branches all summer long to complement your summer reading experience.
Summer reading makes a difference.
No matter what your reason for reading -- whether it`s to learn new things, escape with a great story, or simply to relax and unwind -- you reap great benefits. Teachers and literacy experts agree that reading throughout the summer helps students retain skills learned during the school year. Most importantly, when parents and children enjoy summer reading together, children develop a love of books and reading that lasts a lifetime.
Learn how Summer Reading builds on school-year success
Watch this video to see the 2012 Summer Reading program in action.
After winning a Top Innovator award earlier this year for its strategic approach to programming, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library brought that innovative approach to improving literacy among children and teens by moving its Summer Reading program online, enabling improved marketing efforts and the ability to track outcomes. (Read more about these efforts.)
The results for 2012 were impressive:
13.8 MILLION TOTAL MINUTES OF READING! This year, 22,167 individuals signed up for the Library’s Summer Reading program -- a 26% increase over last year! Participants documented more than 230,318 hours read; that`s over 13.8 million minutes of reading!
20 MINUTES OF READING PER DAY Adults, school-age children and teens who read, did so for an outstanding average of 20 minutes per day.
SCHOOL-AGE READING This year, 14,930 children and teens signed up for the Library’s Summer Reading program, documenting more than 152,427 hours read.
ADULT READING 4,299 adults signed up for Summer Reading, as well, reading 73,914 hours. Adults who read serve as models of good reading habits for the young people in our community.
YOUNG CHILDREN LEARNING TO READ The Library also offered a program for pre-readers, called "Wee Read", which attracted nearly 3,000 participants. Wee Read encouraged parents to build early reading skills by reading daily to their little ones, an activity that is so beneficial in preparing young children for kindergarten and later academic success.
Thank you to our sponsors
Many thanks to the generosity of our sponsors for making the 2013 Summer Reading program possible. If your company would like information on becoming a sponsor for the 2014 Summer Reading program, please contact our Development Office at 704-416-0618.
Explore our Pinterest boards! We`ve added boards with fun "Dig into Reading" activities you can do with your kids.
Summer Reading is helping students.
Children who read, succeed.
Those few words sum up why the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library`s summer reading program is so important. Along with our partner, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, we believe that reading and literacy in children and teens is a strong predictor of educational attainment and career success.
The library is making an impact on the youngest children and their parents, building critical preliteracy skills to prepare young children for school. For school-aged children, several studies have shown that the academic gains made during each school year can erode significantly between Memorial Day and Labor Day if children do not read. According to one researcher, "Summer reading setback is one of the important factors contributing to the reading achievement gap between rich and poor children."
This is particularly worrisome for two reasons: First, students who are struggling with reading in the third grade are likely to have trouble in all subjects, because reading is so essential to learning in grades four through 12.
Second, reading is becoming an even more essential skill for all students, as North Carolina and other states move toward Common Core Standards in which literacy (reading) is embedded in all parts of the curriculum. The more children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
The Library`s Summer Reading Program for children and teens is helping to address this critical issue by encouraging reading during the summer months. Interestingly, the number of books read during the summer can make a difference. Studies suggest that reading four to six books over the summer helps readers maintain their skills, and reading ten to twenty books helps improve their skills. Or, as one researcher puts it, "Free voluntary reading is the best way to better reading and language development."
The library is building readers who will be prepared to succeed in school, the workplace, and in life.
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