This summer, the Hastings Highlands Public Library blasted off to space with a series of galaxy themed programs for our TD Summer Reading Club (TDSRC), a free reading program for kids of all ages, interests, and abilities.
Each week, kids gathered to hear a story and some space facts before getting to express their creativity through crafts. Together we created paintings of the galaxy, designed our very own jetpacks, lit up the room with cosmic nightlights, and flew to the moon - or at least made it look like it. We also had a few special programs, like our space-themed LEGO challenge where kids built their own rockets, and our summer-long kid's reading challenge.
When the school year ends, it can be challenging to get kids to keep reading, especially for children who are not confident in their reading skills. Programs like the TDSRC help encourage kids to continue with their reading throughout the summer, while also offering lists of books kids will love. Kids are also able to access a child-friendly online space where they can write book reviews, participate in trivia, vote for their favourite books, create their own stories, and more.
Of course, the goal of the TD Summer Reading Club isn't just to encourage kids to continue reading outside of school - it's to foster a love of reading that we hope will grow as they do. According to the TD Summer Reading Club 2022 Impact Report, 98% of caregivers agree "their child maintained or improved their reading skills over the summer," while 96% of caregivers agree "their child's confidence was maintained or increased." This year at our library, we had a record number of 84 children signed up, who collectively went on to read over 1000 books throughout the summer.
In addition to our TD Summer Reading Club programming, we partnered with Stacie from The Métis Nation of Ontario in July to offer a series of kindergarten readiness programs, where kids learned about dressing for the weather, tying their shoes, using scissors and pencils, recognizing letters, counting, and more. Then, in August we invited Drayke Evans and his team to put on an educational presentation about Ontario snakes and turtles, which was fully sponsored by the Lake St. Peter Property Owner's Association and the Bancroft Area Stewardship Council.
As we head into another school year, we are looking ahead to more literacy themed after-school programming for kids with the return of The Novel Idea Kid's Book Club and Reading Buddies. Keep up to date with the latest in library news and programs on our website and social media.
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