Avoid the Summer Learning Slide!
Kids who don’t read over the summer fall behind their peers when school starts up again, and the effects of the Summer Slide can last a lifetime!
Library sponsored HW Help programs will return in the Fall, but until then check out these opportunities to keep your child on track this summer.
Educational Gaming
For Early Learners (Ages 2-8)
ABCmouse can be yours for FREE from home and at the Library! It is 100% educational and 100% fun, with more than 10,000 learning activities for ages 2-8+ focused on reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music—including more than 2,000 STEM and 1,200 Spanish-language learning activities.
Click here to access ABCmouse at home or to access ABCmouse at the Library
For Elementary and Middle School Aged Learners
Sign up for this free educational, multiplayer online game for elementary and middle school students.
Library card holders can create one account with multiple child profiles per household. To access this service, you will need a PML Library card and its corresponding password. To reset your Library Card password, click HERE.
Brainfuse now offers a Summer Camp feature to help students in grades 3-12 avoid the summer learning slide in reading, math, science, and social studies.
And parents, there’s also information for you on how to help!
- This free resource is still available even while school is out!
- Download Brainfuse as an app or access your account online from anywhere using your PML Library card.
PLUS! Encourage your child to STRIVE FOR FIVE and Win Prizes by joining this year's "Color Your World" summer reading program!
- Did you know that all it takes to keep your child on track for school in the fall is to READ 5 BOOKS over the summer? We did! And that’s why we created our Strive for Five summer reading initiative, to encourage children to read 5 books and win prizes at PML!
- All types of reading count, from traditional picture books, to graphic novels, ebooks, audiobooks, comics, and even Video Books (Vooks!) And don’t worry – chapter books longer than 150 pages count double.
- Sign Up is easy, click HERE to learn more
Don't know how to get your child excited about reading over the summer? Check out these tips from Brainfuse's new Summer Camp feature's "Parent Resources" list:
Make it a fun trip and let your child choose their own books – any book that they find interesting, even if it seems too easy (or too hard).
Set aside time daily, free from any distractions (TV, phones, tablets) and read together as family. Let your child spend the time reading a book of their choice.
Even if your child is reading on their own, many children still enjoy being read to aloud. Audio books are another fun way to giving kids exposure to books that would ordinarily be above their reading level.
Most libraries, and some bookstores, offer summer reading programs. Some programs provide curated book lists and surrounding activities, while others are less structured. Many programs also offer prizes or recognition for kids who read a certain number of books.
Keep your eyes open to daily opportunities for encouraging your child to read, such as signs, ingredient lists, billboards, comics, and advertisements. Incorporating reading into the day demonstrates how useful reading is, and will give your child plenty of real-world practice.