Summer reading clubs can help improve literacy levels

(NC)—It's no secret that without practice, learned skills get rusty. Researchers have found that students generally score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they do at the beginning. What better way to help your kids take the mystery out of reading by enrolling them in a summer reading club like the one organized jointly by TD Bank Financial Group, Library and Archives Canada and the Toronto Public Library?

This year's theme, Crack the case with Agent 009, is a fun way to keep children of all ages engaged in reading throughout the summer months. With more than 250,000 reading kits being distributed this year that consist of an activity booklet, poster, and collectible stickers, it's no surprise that the love of reading will be alive this summer in libraries across Canada.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider enrolling your child in a summer reading club:

Maintaining Performance: Reading just six books during the summer has the potential to keep a struggling reader from regressing. Parents should be mindful of their child's reading level when choosing books. Libraries often run summer reading programs that provide guidance, such as the award-winning TD Summer Reading Club, in which nearly two million books are read by children each summer.

Improving Performance: Summer reading can help improve literacy levels, giving children the opportunity to return to school with advanced reading skills. The majority of reading club participants, librarians, and parents believe summer reading programs result in improved reading performance.

Increased Knowledge Base: Reading naturally expands your knowledge of a variety of different topics. Whether it's a book, newspaper or magazine, reading can help you discover new facts about the world around you.

Learning Confidence: It makes sense that a child with good reading skills will have higher confidence to continue with reading activities, both at school and at home. Participation in group reading clubs not only improves reading confidence, it can increase a child's social confidence as a result of enjoying interaction with others.

For more information on the TD Summer Reading Club please visit www.td-club-td.ca.

Source: www.newscanada.com