"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." — Margaret Fuller
Under the night stars or snuggled in for a cool fall night, there is nothing better than going on an adventure with friends, or better yet your children. This is a journey of your imagination through the story you are reading. My children look forward to bedtime, no not because it is bedtime, but because it is their time to settle down with a good book.
Reading is a fundamental skill that children will need to be successful in school. We have found that keeping children engaged in reading activities outside of the classroom helps keep them reading at grade level. At the Y our hope is to encourage the children, over 1200 of them, in our child care programs to find the joy in reading. We are excited to be participating in the After School Readers Program with Y-USA, again. This means we will incorporate 90 minutes of independent reading time per week. Children choose their own books or other reading materials that they are interested in, which encourages them to read for fun.
One way our Meyers Lake Branch is enhancing its After School Readers program is by creating a lending library from books that were donated last summer. The children really enjoy signing the card and turning it in so they can take books home. Staff have expressed that the best part is when the children return the books and are so excited that they tell them all about the story.
Wondering how you can help a child develop a love of reading? Stop by or call your local YMCA and volunteer to spend some time reading aloud to the kids or you can donate new or gently used children’s books to the child care programs. Together we can make a difference!
