s/o Summer Reading-What do YOU want the library program to look like?

[athomeontheprairie]

I help plan my library's youth program. I've watched the other thread with interest. I love that some of you really enjoy your library's programs. I'm (not quite) jealous of what some of your libraries can offer. I'm sad that some of them seem so sad and pathetic.

 

So, if your library asked for and LISTENED to your advice and made changes to their programs based on your recommendations, what would you recommend? Especially the part that encourages READING. I love program ideas, and those are welcome. But I would really love to hear what you would like your libraries to be doing to promote reading. prizes? raffles? goals? reading logs? time? weekly? monthly? online? let me hear it!

[Closeacademy]

For teens, I would like to have meet-up times for teens to come and talk about the books they are reading.  Not a specific book but maybe a manga group, romance group, paranormal group, sci-fi group, etc.  So maybe they could meet others that enjoyed the same sorts of books.

 

For kids, I always liked the ones best that had them do time charts because they got more reading in.

[Mothersweets]

When my kids were younger our local library did a treasure map/gameboard type of reading log. There was a path marked with squares (kind of like a CandyLand gameboard) and you would mark off one square for one book. Each square was worth a point. There were prizes available of varying point value. So each child could save up their points for a better prize or spend their points right away for something simple. Once they filled out the entire gameboard they were entered into a drawing for a larger prize.

 

The prizes were simple things: a pencil, cool erasers, stickers, army parachute men, water pistols, punch balls,etc. My kids were motivated by it. :)

 

I wish the library had something simple like that going now. We tried to participate in the program last year (different library system) but it was too confusing/time consuming. And by time consuming, I mean they wanted you to enter each book online and their system was difficult to navigate. I wish they would have provided a paper and pen option for old fogey moms like me. Also, the "prizes" were free kid meals at fast food joints. :glare:

 

I prefer books instead of minutes while also allowing for kids who are reading longer books - maybe 20min of reading time would equal one book?

[Miss Tick]

As a mom, I would like to see a total goal (which ours does), and also some bi-weekly type drawings. I am careful to make our goals challenging, but a little disheartened by seeing some kids whip through their goals in two weeks. The prizes can be small, my kids sell themselves cheap, haha. I love Heartlikealion's idea of a "quest" or cumulative goal of some kind.

 

One of our libraries has the standard reading-time goal with coupons for prizes for everybody. Another local library has killer prizes donated by all sorts of area businesses. At the end of the program they do this complicated raffle thing. The prizes are "larger", but not everyone gets one. Idk, we often participate in both (our house rules are that you have to read twice the number of books), but not sure one is better than the other.

[MrsBasil]

I like that ours makes it clear that non readers can participate. The themed programs usually has a birth to K, K-5, and 6-12 graded program with different levels of difficulty for the different ages. I like that the program is very encouraging and aimed at getting the parents and younger kids to do things together based on the theme.

 

Ex: Last year was a STEAM theme, so they had a book and a project for each category, a brochure with age appropriate selections, a Pinterest board with more hands on/cheap things to try.

 

 

I like that I can download the packet off the internet. :)

[vonfirmath]

Honestly... Something that requires a bit more reflection on the book read than just writing it down and steaming on.  I am seeing more and more, anyway, that it is not just "reading" that gets the benefits. Its reading and then thinking about/conversing about that reading. Having someone to ask questions, etc. So a wide enough policy of allowing children to show they interacted with the books they read could also have a side effect of making the reading more meaningful. Book reports, Dioramas, Cooking, Poetry, writing an alternative ending. Etc.

 

[Ali in OR]

We haven't participated in a program since the kids were pretty little. I think it would be fun to have kids explore their library more, so maybe a challenge to read one book from each of several different Dewey decimal areas (like a 921 biography, a fairy tale, a science book, etc.) That would obviously be for older kids. For fiction, maybe an author challenge, picking authors that the library has plenty of. Read a Cleary, a Dahl, and a DiCamillo. Read every book by a particular author. Read a whole series. Pick several books to "push" and post pictures that kids draw to illustrate a scene. Track number of pages read, and maybe have a community "thermometer" where you color in a segment for every 100 pages you read. Maybe a choice of goals that the parent gets to help select what is appropriate for their child (# pages, # books, # chapter books, # books you've never read before, # minutes spent reading, etc.).

[Rebel Yell]

If you do prizes or incentives for the number of books read, switch it over to pages read for teens, or even for each different type of book read.  My girls (VORACIOUS readers and library volunteers/college library employee) lost interest pretty much immediately when they realized that little kids reading (or having read to them) a dozen tiny books a day got way more, and way more fabulous- prizes than they did. It was almost like the teens got punished for reading lengthy books. I mean, most of them already have hefty summer reading to do for their high school classes.

 

Best incentives: gifts cards, iTunes, Amazon, Panera, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Wendy's. Movie vouchers, mini-golf or bowling, some activity.

Worst incentives: Basket of books- most of which they either already read/own or have zero interest in.

[barnwife]

Well, our oldest is just shy of 5. I am sad that he can't participate this year. The children's librarian chastised him for merely picking up a flyer by the checkout desk about the summer reading program. After he picked it up, she picked up the rest of the stack and pointedly declared, "those are for the older kids." Then she hid the stack of flyers (presumably so no more of the kids there for the toddler/preschool story hour would take one). 

I know he isn't reading on his own yet. But I think he would love a quest type thing. You could even have each kid earn a puzzle piece to a puzzle posted on the library wall. 

I also like Ali in OR's suggestions. 

 

[Wilma]

My kids' school does a rockin' program and I would love to see it at the library. It's a Bingo sheet, and each square describes a type of book (a book recommended by a friend, a non-fiction book, a book set on another continent, the first book of a series, etc.). Prizes are offered for bingo-s, with an even better prize for a blackout. I love that the kids read out of their usual - a book of poetry wouldn't be a usual pick for my people, but they'll enjoy it!

[Happygrl]

I really liked our library's program when I was young.  There was always same variation of a game board.  As you moved around the board, you'd get different kinds of books to read--a biography, a non-fiction, a book about a sport of your choice, a fiction book, a book from the new arrivals, book on tape, a new-to-you author, etc.   To advance on the board, you'd have to answer a few questions about the book from last time (the librarians would just thumb through it when you brought it to the table).  While the questions (as I recall) were easy, it did mean you couldn't just say you read it.  The focus was on exposure.  I fell in love with non-fiction & biographies because of those summers.  

 

I'm not sure we even had any prizes other than seeing your name move across the giant board they had on the ceiling beams.  

 

Our current program is just minutes/titles but I'm trying to merge it with what I grew up on.  So each time we go, I tell the kids a different theme for a book they need to get.  

 

 

[vonfirmath]

Well, our oldest is just shy of 5. I am sad that he can't participate this year. The children's librarian chastised him for merely picking up a flyer by the checkout desk about the summer reading program. After he picked it up, she picked up the rest of the stack and pointedly declared, "those are for the older kids." Then she hid the stack of flyers (presumably so no more of the kids there for the toddler/preschool story hour would take one).

 

 

!! Wow. When my son participated last year, the local (Austin) library had NO problem with my the 2 year old daughter participating alongside (I read her books). They encouraged families to read and didn't mind "spendng" Some photocopied flyers for that purpose.

 

A lot of the actual activities are for 5 and up. But even they say that younger kids are welcome if space is available.

[T'smom]

One year the adult reading program (do most libraries have that?) had a bingo board that you had to fill out. There were different things to do on each square. Different genres of books and such. One of them was to attend a book club meeting. I remember that because it was the only square I didn't get! You could enter your board for drawings if you got a line and there was a drawing for a kindle fire if you got the whole board blackout. I don't really like the emphasis to be on prizes though- but I liked the format of the bingo board. The idea up thread of a monopoly board is gold!

 

If the goal was to get kids to engage with the books more, there could be a list of projects that could be completed and displayed in the library. Maybe each project being worth an entry into a drawing or something. I like the idea of kids rating books that they read and writing a couple sentences about why they did or did not like it- those could be displayed in the library so kids could get ideas of more books to read!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Regular summer reading programs with incentives like stickers, stamps, and prizes don't motivate my kids at all.  Actually, it makes them want to read less.  (see my post in the other thread)

 

My dd is very social, and would love to have a book club type program.  While assigning one particular book for everyone might be unrealistic, perhaps the librarians could come up with a suggested reading list of several books on a particular theme.  Then, once or twice a month, have a Book Club Meeting, and have activities related to the Theme that the kids will enjoy after reading one or two associated books.  The book club might include a craft, some lessons drawn, and a snack, all that pertain to the theme or time period of the stories.

 

Possible themes might be Pioneer Days, Colonial America, Rites of Passage/Coming of Age, Fantasy, Mystery, or Adventure.  

 

 

[DesertBlossom]

I don't remember all the details, but before last year there were prizes kids could earn along the way and at the end they got a bunch of coupons for various free meals and activities.

 

Then last year they switched to some online program. The kids earn badges. Like seriously an icon of a badge they can print off. It's really lame and not at all motivating.

 

I plan on paying my kids a penny per page this summer to up the motivation.

[SKL]

I'd like it to include a book club type weekly get-together for younger kids.  My kids are 8 and they would have enjoyed that from 7yo or even younger.  As it is, they have to be in 5th grade to participate in any local book club.  :/  At least they chat about books at school a lot - but not during the summer.