Combat summer slide

The summer slide refers to the decline in reading skills that some children experience during the time they are away from school during July and August. Compounded annually, the summer slide can eventually result in a decline in reading skills that will affect a child’s ability to learn and work at grade level for the majority of his or her school years.

The best way to combat summer slide is to encourage children to read as much as they can over the summer and the Springfield Free Public Library is here to help. In order to keep kids reading all summer long, the kids who sign up for the library’s summer reading program receive prizes and other incentives based on how much they read.

The library staff would like to see every child in town coming to the library this summer so that we can keep those slides in the parks and playgrounds where they belong and keep our students on the path to becoming lifelong readers and leaders.