Slide into library branches for summer reading program, activities in Contra Costa County

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (June 27, 2023) — Many parents dread the onset of the “summer slide” – the frittering away of academic headway as students morph into couch potatoes or become zombies tethered to cell phones and computer screens.

To help area youth skirt the slide, the Contra Costa County Library has a summer reading program titled “Find Your Voice” that runs through Aug. 5 and offers prizes for participants. Complementing it is a host of online activities to stimulate a variety of skills and interests, plus unique events at specific library branches.

“Not only have there been studies to prove that the ‘summer slide’ is real and that summer reading programs help slow or avoid that slide, but I see the anecdotal evidence on a daily basis while working at the library,” said Geneva Moss, community library manager for the Clayton Community Library. “The summer reading program we offer rewards a variety of literacy-related experiences to encourage continuous learning during the summer.”

Moss noted that her staff may see a child who is not necessarily enthused about reading enter the branch, look at a poster about the summer reading program and then get excited to participate to earn a prize (i.e., free books, stickers, etc.) and be entered into a drawing for something bigger (i.e., a Lego movie kit).

Students can register online at www.ccclib.org/summer and click on “Beanstack” to track participation. Youngsters can also print out a reading passport at home or pick one up at the local library. Everyone who completes the summer reading activity wins prizes, including a free book. They are in turn entered into a drawing for a chance to win more amazing prizes.

Here are examples of some of the summer reading activities:

• Create a self-portrait. Artists can bring in their artwork to a participating library to be displayed.
• Make a straw pan flute or shoe-box lute.
• Write a haiku.

Special lunch sessions in Concord

Area libraries also are offering programs tailored to meet the needs of their local communities.

The Concord Library combines its in-house activities with a lunch. Following lunch on Thursday, June 22, youngsters can join in the “Writing a Book with Makenzie” workshop from 1:15 to 2 p.m.

In 2019, The Pioneer featured budding author Makenzie Lee-Foster on the front page in an article about her self-published picture book, “Kickin’ It with Kenzie: What’s Meant for Me Will Be!”

The Concord branch will serve lunch for children under 18 from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday during June. The Mt. Diablo Unified School District provides the lunches, funded jointly by the Friends of the Concord Library and the state of California.

The Pleasant Hill Library will offer a writing activity in July where youngers ages 12 to 18 can join local poet and English teacher Krissy Kludt. It’s catered to individuals who like to express themselves in words, desire the space to write and share their work with other teen writers or maybe simply want to find their own voice. The three-session writing camp is 10:30 a.m.-noon July 3-7, made possible by support from the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library.

Clayton youth will be able to explore what it means to find their voices with Lisa Taft’s craft/workshop 2-3 p.m. June 21. After discussing some ways to discovers their voices, participants will make sock puppets and have the chance to share their voices with the group.

Making up for pandemic setbacks

County Librarian Alison McKee spotlighted the intrinsic value of the various library offerings in June’s County Librarian’s Message, which can be found at cclib.org. She pointed to a New York Times article titled “Pandemic Learning Losses: Steep but Not Permanent,” which explored the adverse impact the pandemic has had on education nationwide for children who have faced significant disruptions in their learning journeys.

“Research shows that by the spring of 2022, the average student was a third of a year behind in reading, and students in low-income and underrepresented communities are even further behind than their peers in wealthier, whiter areas,” McKee noted.

“The article highlights the vital role that libraries play in bridging the educational gap, citing research that demonstrates the positive impact of summer reading programs on academic achievement. By regularly engaging in reading simply for pleasure, students can counter the effects of learning loss and strengthen their cognitive abilities, vocabulary and critical thinking skills,” she added.

Library spokesperson Brooke Converse also sees how the library’s summer program prevents backsliding. “It is one of the main tenets of summer reading, along with creating a lifelong love of reading, encouraging reluctant readers by pairing reading with fun activities and generating an interest in the library and books,” she said.

For more information, visit ccclib.org/summer