How Siouxland Libraries is combating ‘summer slide’

Simplified: The Siouxland Libraries summer reading program encourages families to read all summer long with a variety of activities to support literacy – especially for young kids.

Why it matters

• The summer reading program is the biggest program the library system puts on each year. Last year, 5,000 people signed up, and about 3,000 completed the summer reading challenge.
• By encouraging kids to read during the summer, they're more likely to retain what they've learned during the school year. When kids take the summer off from reading, they can lose up two to three years of academic growth by the time they reach middle school, according to Librarian Neliesha Daws.
• The summer reading program also has categories for all ages, which gives parents a chance to model the behavior of reading regularly, as well as letting whole families participate in reading, writing, talking, singing and playing.

"One of the best things about the summer reading program is that it can be done as a family," Daws said.

Tell me more about the summer reading program

This year's theme is "Color Our World," and Siouxland Libraries has planned a variety of programs for all ages, including story times, dance classes, art and cartooning classes, a magician, sensory water play, ZooMobile, book walks, an art contest, an end-of-summer party, and a teen lock-in. 

You can learn more about individual challenges for each age group here.