PHOENIX — Now that school’s out and summer break has started, it’s hard to keep kids off technology and prevent the dreaded summer brain drain.
One way to keep children’s minds active and engaged is to read and Maricopa County’s Summer Reading Program is a great way to encourage them. The annual program runs June 1 - Aug. 1 at 65 libraries across Maricopa County.
The theme of this year’s program is “All Together Now,” encouraging readers of all ages to explore stories of unity, kindness and community.
“It's a really fun and exciting program. Of course, one of the biggest reasons we do this program is to help kids not have experienced that learning loss that can happen in between school years and the summertime. We also want to really build that lifelong habit of reading,” said Samantha Mears with Maricopa County Library District.
It’s easy and free to sign up. Log onto www.MaricopaCountyReads.org or www.CondadoDeMaricopaLee.org in Spanish.
Each minute you read equals one point. The goal is to read for 20 minutes a day to help build a strong lifelong reading habit. And the best part, you can win prizes when you hit different milestones.
“So 500 points, 750 and 1000 points, you win prizes. You win things like free food coupons from Peter Piper Pizza, Raising Canes. You can win tickets to a Phoenix Mercury basketball game, a state parks pass," Mears said. "And of course, my favorite prize is the free book, over 120 titles you can choose from all ages. So you're bound to find something that your family will love."
You can earn points in various ways:
- Reading physical and electronic books
- Listening to audiobooks
- Attending library events
- Participating in Community Experiences
- Completing Summer Reading Challenges
And the summer reading program isn’t just for young kids. Even toddlers can sign up.
“Summer reading is literally for all ages. So our pre-readers, which are those that are just touching and hearing and learning about words and letters, they can also play the summer reading game with their grown-up," said Lee Franklin with Phoenix Public Library.
"So we have a game board for pre-readers. We have a game board for elementary school kids. And then we also have programs and contests for teens and for adults. We've got special prizes for adults," she said. "We want everybody reading."
Personally, my 9-year-old twins Zakary and Zoey love the summer reading program. I’ve gotten them involved for the past several years and this summer, I signed up myself.
And now, thanks to Franklin, we have a special treat for our 12News viewers.
She created a special Summer Reading Badge so kids can get extra points.
When you log on to MaricopaCountyReads.org, enter the special code “TramLovesToRead” to earn extra points toward your reading goal.
Have a great summer reading!
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