Summer reading program is praised

Editor:

I applaud the Polson City Library for their continued success in the implementation of the summer reading program. This program maintains its emphasis on the principle that reading is fun. To participate, families log reading time in half-hour increments. Every four hours of reading earns small prizes (slice of pizza, free book, etc.).

The time is also recorded on a library bulletin board where the children can see their progress. In conjunction with this, each week a featured children's activity or storytime is scheduled. My family looks forward to this each year and it has made a significant impact on the quantity of reading in our home. The hard work, creativity, and organizational ability of the librarians is truly noteworthy. There are hundreds of participants.

Some parents have raised an eyebrow because it is a rewards program and they prescribe to the idea that "Reading is reward in and of itself." However, reading is hard work, especially for beginners. Reading doesn't become rewarding until a child is reasonably fluent and fluency comes with reading frequency. Even my most reluctant reader is involved and surprisingly motivated to set the timer, log his time, retrieve his prize and get more books to read. A reasonable rewards system can work.

Also, any primary school teacher will agree that "backsliding" over the summer is a very real phenomenon. Children return to school reading at lower levels. Vacations, outdoor activities and, unfortunately, television watching can dominate. Our library is providing a program that is actively encouraging children to read.

Please take the time to appreciate and use the library and its staff. We are so fortunate to have this resource in our small community.

Jennifer Hobbs

Polson