Research has shown one of the readily available and effective ways to combat the phenomenon known as the “summer slide” – where kids lose part of the learning from the prior year over a long break – is summer reading programs through local libraries. Because of that, libraries in Montgomery, Greene, Warren and Miami counties have adopted and partnered with local school districts to offer food, air conditioning, and books to families this summer.
“We were not so focused on formal classroom instruction, but we want to support that curiosity, that innate, self-directed drive and make sure everyone has the opportunity to explore that,” said Allison Knight, youth services director at the Dayton Metro Library.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Libraries offer reading programs, but many branches hold craft days and other activities for families to attend during the summer.
At the Huber Heights location, Seth Patrick, the children’s librarian, holds a STEAM camp most Tuesdays, where the kids will be doing activities around robots and reading ‘The Wild Robot’ by Peter Brown, which has been adapted as a Pixar film and is set to release in September. The book follows a robot abandoned on an island where she must learn to adapt.
At a recent Tuesday event, almost 40 kids, from age three to age 12, attended and built robot arms. Patrick said afterwards the turnout was close to 70 people, which far exceeded the number he expected.
Jennifer Engle, a Huber Heights parent, said she often brings her two kids to the library to participate in the STEAM program. She said her daughter particularly enjoys the program.
“We’ve been coming a long time,” she said. “It keeps them engaged.”
Some locations also offer free lunches, sponsored by partner schools. Libraries are a central location during the summer, so schools with federal grant programs that offer free lunches often partner with libraries.
At the Northwest branch of the Dayton Metro Library, kids can get free food at the library most days. LaNeice Mays brought her daughter and her grandson to the library for the free lunch, but said she forgot about the summer program until she came to the library to use the computer that day.
The Greene County library offers free food to kids at the Fairborn branch of the library and partners with Xenia schools to offer food too. The public library also offers snacks to kids.
“It felt like a natural connection to our mission - help our community feed our children so we can make sure they’re best set up for reading success,” said Evan Scott, a spokesman at the Greene County Library system, who works with Greene County Public Schools.
Of course, the schools are encouraging kids to do what I did during the summer: enjoy the summer reading program at the local library.
In Miami County, Troy City Schools, Miami East, Troy Christian, Newton, Bethel and other local schools promote the county library’s summer reading programs and have almost 1,400 kids signed up, according to Andrea Wackler, Programs and Services Manager at Troy Miami County Public Library.
Shawn Thomas, principal at Brookville elementary school, said the school system has been partnering with the Brookville branch of the Dayton Metro Library for years. She said the teachers have been encouraging their students to engage with the library while they are on summer break.
Having teachers ask their students to complete the library’s summer reading program offers the teachers some reassurance their students did some learning during the summer, Thomas said.
“It keeps the kids engaged all summer instead of only being on technology,” Thomas said.
Pam Gayheart, spokeswoman for Fairborn schools, said the library sends materials to be distributed to our elementary students explaining the summer program. During the school year, the libraries have tutoring available.
“I can’t say enough about what our local library means to the school district,” Gayheart said. “They are great partners for our kids.”
Mad River spokeswoman Jenny Alexander said the school system works closely with the Burkhardt location of Dayton Metro Library to help prevent the summer slide. She said the children’s librarian, Issac Fry, has been engaged with the school systems and shows up to various events that the district has.
“We are immensely grateful for the Dayton Metro Library’s support and Issac’s unwavering commitment to fostering a love for reading within our community,” Alexander said. “Their efforts have made a significant impact on our students’ learning and development.”
Eileen McClory is an education reporter for the Dayton Daily News.
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