SPEAKER_01 0:00

Things like decoding and letter knowledge and word reading skills are super susceptible to this loss without frequent practice, right? So you think about those age groups that are just learning to read or learning to um become more proficient in reading. It's the kind of skill that just takes practice. So that's really what happens is that um when we are not constantly practicing, we lose those skills. Um so without reading during the summer, kids can lose um up to 20% of the proficiency that they made um throughout the school year. So that's what we're you know trying to prevent happen. Um this is just fun.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Welcome to the Rockford Public Library Podcast. I'm Laura Griffin and your host today. So we're gonna be talking about RPL's most exciting tradition, the summer reading challenge. So each summer, kids, teens, and adults across Rockford are invited to take part on a literary adventure, all while earning rewards, discovering new stories, and staying sharp during the summer break. Whether you're a young reader chasing your first chapter book, a teen diving into graphic novels, or an adult finally checking off that to be read list, the Summer Reading Challenge has something for everyone. So today we have Erin Birdsong, and she is heading up the Summer Reading Challenge program. So, Erin, would you introduce yourself?

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Sure. Um, I am Erin Birdsong. I am the Youth Services Manager here at RPL.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

So, Erin, what excites you most about this year's Summer Reading Challenge?

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Um I think we have a really great theme this year. It's pretty open-ended. Um, so there's gonna be a lot of programming opportunities to do a lot of cool things for all of the age groups. So I'm pretty excited about that.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

So, what is the theme this year?

SPEAKER_01 2:01

It is level up at your library. So it's a little bit of a gaming theme, um, but again, it's open-ended. So that could be physical games, that could be board games, card games, um as well as video games. So we're gonna have programs um, again, for all ages that incorporate um those kinds of things. So we will have gaming programs. Um I think we're gonna have a Mario Kart tournament um for teens, but there will also be a program where you can make a giant memory game for the younger kids, and um we will have board game um extravaganza. So there's just a lot of different things that we could do with it.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

So when does registration begin and how can um community member how can community members sign up?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

So the summer reading um challenge itself kicks off on May 31st, um, and you can register in person. Um we will have our big kickoff party um that Saturday from 10 to 1 here um at the downtown main location. Um So you can register in person at that event, um, or you can also go to our website to um register online um using the BeanStack app. Um we've used that app to track reading for years, um, so it's likely that people might already be familiar with it. But it's super easy to sign up that way, um, or you can just come and do it in person.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

So what age groups can participate?

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Summer reading is all ages, so that is birth to 120, like everybody can participate. We do have um three different tracks for that. So there's a birth through twelve um challenge as well as a teens challenge and then an adults challenge. Um we have a lot of great prizes for the different age groups as well, including adults, so this is really for everyone.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

And how do people like record on Beanstack? Is it like recording per hour, per page? Um how how do people like what counts?

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Um the way that Beanstack works is you can track that either way you want to, um, just depending on your own preferences. But for the purpose of participating in um our summer reading challenge, we do it by minutes. Um you track how many minutes you read each day, um, and that's what you're working towards is your minute goal for our challenge.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

And are there like prizes along the way, or is it like just all at the end?

SPEAKER_01 4:30

All along the way, because we really want everybody participating all summer. Um so there are incentives to do that um all the way through. So when you register, um, we'll have our summer reading t-shirt giveaways. The way that we've broken it up is there's a 500-minute goal for each month. So in June, you read 500 minutes and then you get a free book. There's also um food coupons. Um again in July, you read 500 more minutes. There's another book um that you get for free. Previously, we had done you get one free book at the end of the summer. Um we are increasing that so that you everybody well, kids, kids and teens can get potentially three books, um, can earn three books throughout the summer to um keep and kind of build your home library. Um so again, the same thing. Um you have half of half of August to do the same thing. Um so the goal is to get 1,500 minutes read um throughout the whole summer. And then at the finish of that, um we have a lot of cool grand prizes um that you can enter to win. So when you have completed all of your reading goals, um you'll get entered to win uh in a drawing for um. We have Kindle Fires, we have a Nintendo Switch, um, we've got a couple of um Ocean VR headsets, um and a ton of local restaurant coupons and things for adults um as well, including Mazebooks and um just a lot of a lot of really cool local businesses um supported us in this effort. So we are excited.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

That's awesome. Uh I've had my kids participate and I love it because it helps them to keep track during the summer. Uh every year I'd sign them up, and I love that we do give a book to them, um, and they get to choose. I I love last year's books too. One of my favorites is Mexicid, I think that's what it's called. And my youngest daughter uh enjoyed reading that. So it's it's really fun. I love like it's a great challenge for kids, and it keeps them on track during the summer. There's this thing called SummerSlide. Would you share about that? Like what SummerSlide is? And um, I know it's a thing like a lot of teachers at the end of the year are kind of concerned about because it's like, okay, what's what's gonna happen over the next few months for kids when they're not in school and they don't have that routine of reading?

SPEAKER_01 7:16

For sure, yeah. So um the summer slide is kind of what happens when kids don't read over the summer, right? So they lose some of that progress that they have made during the school year. Um and specifically younger kids are prone um to the most learning loss because they are still at like the crucial stage of their development. Um so I'm gonna quote Dr. James Kent real quick about this. Um, but things like decoding and letter knowledge and word reading skills um are super susceptible to this loss without frequent practice, right? So you think about those age groups that are just learning to read or learning to um become more proficient in reading, it's the kind of skill that just takes practice. So that's really what happens is that um when we are not constantly practicing, we lose those skills. Um so without reading during the summer, kids can lose um up to 20 percent of the proficiency that they made um throughout the school year. So that's why we're you know trying to prevent happen. Um it's just fun to participate.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Yeah. And I love that it's like it's the whole community that can be a part, it's uh something as a group that we can all be a part of, and it doesn't matter your age.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

So what are some other benefits that you think um participants gain from the program?

SPEAKER_01 8:36

So in addition to um combating summer slide, I think it's also just a great opportunity for kids and adults alike, really, um, to kind of explore um in like a low-stakes um reading situation. So this isn't, you know, books that you've been told you have to read. This isn't, you know, things you have to check off the list for school. Like this is really in a time to explore different genres, explore um different things um as well as coming into the library for the different physical programs that we have for all of these age groups. So there's just um there's a lot of ways to participate in it.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

No, that's great. Like I've I think one of the I love the idea of trying out different genres of books because it really expands your neuroplasticity. There it goes. There it is.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

That's also too one of the like most important parts that I think um, you know, parents and caregivers really need to understand about reading in general, but um summer reading especially is um, you know, this is the time to let kids read what they want, like really anytime it's necessary to let them read what they want. But um you know kids aren't going to gain as much from the summer reading if they aren't truly enjoying it, right? So we're trying to engage them. Um we want them to read, you know, whatever graphic novel looks good to them, whatever um series book, you know, based off a TV show or something that they like. Like um it really doesn't matter. This does not need to be like academic reading. Um, any reading is is perfect and beneficial.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

Yeah, I've noticed like at least with my kids, they can start out may I'll be like, here, just read five minutes, and then they'll just want to keep going, which is awesome. It's just just to get them started, and then they'll decide if they want to keep going. And if they don't like the book, they can try a different one.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Aaron Powell For sure. Um and I think I love that you mentioned um you know, five minutes specifically. So the goal that we set for our summer reading challenge is 20 minutes a day. And one of the reasons, there's a lot of reasons, but one of the reasons for that is because it um it feels doable, right? That feels digestible. So like talking about starting with five minutes. Even if you did five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the afternoon, it adds up. Um but the benefits of reading 20 minutes a day um in addition to just feeling manageable. I'm gonna read some statistics for this. I would love it.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

I love statistics.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: So children who read 20 minutes a day, five days a week, are exposed to 1.8 million words in one school year. So if you compare that um to students who read five minutes a day, they'll be exposed to 282,000 words per school year. Um, in addition to the academic things that we're talking about, um reading in general is so beneficial for kids for everybody, but for kids too, um in helping foster empathy, um, you know, this is how a child um starts learning to, you know, walk in someone else's shoes and um you know learn about other people's experiences. So um, you know, this is how we get exposed to different ideas and cultures. Um, it improves our critical thinking. Um, of course, there's an increase in knowledge of, you know, syntax and grammar and along with um the vocabulary, and which in turn also improves our writing skills. So like um, you know, 20 minutes a day is doable, but it also is really significant um in the amount of progress that you can make because this also um Backstacs. Um students who read 20 minutes per day score significantly higher on standardized tests um of reading. So there's a lot of benefits to reading 20 minutes a day, and also um it is fairly reasonable to fit into your daily schedule.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Aaron Ross Powell Yeah, and I like the idea of trying to form a habit, like one of those things that as you like if you can just put in five minutes, you can add a little bit more, or you know, but it's one of those things you if you keep on doing it for at least a couple weeks, you may you'll start to miss it if you don't have it.

SPEAKER_01 12:47

Aaron Powell For sure. And it's also such an opportunity to um, you know, do these things as a family. It this doesn't mean that you, you know, your kid needs to go sit down and read for 20 minutes by themselves. This includes audiobooks, this includes reading together, reading aloud, um, bedtime stories, all of this counts.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

One of my favorite books, I forget the name, but with my kids when they couldn't read yet, are the ones with just pictures and you create the story yourself as you turn the page and you're just looking at at the art and the pictures that are describing a story, and you can use your voice in any way and create the characters yourself. And I think there's a lot of creativity that can be added, or as a parent, you can do with your child.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

Yeah, imagination is a huge part of it.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

For sure. And then, you know, you've you've been in libraries for many years. So is there a memorable story that you have um of a summer reading challenge that you'd want to share?

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Too many, probably. Um but actually, you know, I have been um you know, a children's librarian for 11 years, and this is um the 12th year is my first year here at Rockford. So I'm actually gonna use an example um from one of the youth services staff um here at RPL because I think this is like so meaningful and cool that there are several staff members here um that attended the suburbating challenges at this library when they were young. Wow. Um and I think that that's just so cool because you never you never really know like what kind of impact um you're making on kids in general. But like the fact that there are staff members who remember coming to um RPL as children and participating, um, they still remember some of the other staff members that still work here. Um that just, you know, you're creating these kinds of bonds and this love for reading and this love for libraries that um can end up having like a lifelong um effect. Because here they are, you know, these years later um still working here and now they are getting to help planning summer summer reading for um the kids of today. So I I I love that.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Yeah, I love that it's like this multiplier, this effect where yeah, where the this generation will come back and maybe the next librarian. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

That's one of the things I love about um children's librarianship in in particular is because um you are creating lifelong learners and lifelong library lovers. Um and I think that's that's why it's so important um to really instill that love of reading at this young age because you're creating that for life.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

For sure. Well that's awesome. Thank you so much, Erin, for being with us. Can you remind us of the kickoff date? And also when does it like when do people ha need to be done? Um when does it end? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

So um the kickoff party again will be um May 31st from 10 to 1 at the main branch downtown. Um that's gonna be a super fun event um where we'll have a bouncy house and a DJ and balloon animals. Um it's a whole just exciting party to kick off um the summer that we're super excited about. And again, that's when you can register um in person. Um one of the things that I'm excited about this year is that we are bringing back paper logs.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Ooh.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

So um we're still using BeanStack, and if you prefer to track um your reading or or your kiddo's reading um through the app, perfect. Um but if you would like to have your child baby hap or participation in in keeping track of the books that they read um and logging all of those minutes themselves, um, doing it together. Um, so we're gonna bring back the paper logs um this year so that you have multiple ways of keeping track of this, um, whichever one you prefer. Um so May 31st, we'll get that started, and then um we will have a full summer of programs um and reading goals and prizes, and then we will have our finale event on um August 16th. Um, and that is when we will have our magician, um our hired magician friend come back out. Um the finale event is actually gonna be at the Nordlof Center, also downtown. Um So yeah, you've got until May 31st to August 16th um to read all that you can and want to.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Awesome. And so um, do you have to come to the kickoff event to register or to participate, or you can just do it online?

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Yeah, you can do it online. Um if you can't make it to the kickoff party, um that's totally okay. You can go um really at any point to any of the branches, um whether that's you know, downtown East, Montague, mobile, um you can do it in person, or you can go through our website. So um rockwoodpubliclibrary.org. You're gonna see you know a big banner right on on the website um talking about summer reading um because we're super excited about it. So there will be links. Um you will be able to find it online.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

So Okay, awesome. Well, thanks again for coming in, and we're so excited for the summer reading challenge. And I know my kiddos are gonna enjoy this summer with lots of books. They can't help it since I work here. But uh um yeah, so thank you again, and we'll be back again with another podcast guest. We're not sure who, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

Thanks for having me. Um I'll see you guys this summer. Okay, sounds good.