merrion street

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., launched this year’s Summer Reading Programme at Rathmines Library in Dublin this morning.

The Programme runs in public libraries every July and August and is a hugely popular and successful reading event for children of all ages and abilities.

It is designed to encourage children to read six or more books over the summer. Children get to pick their own books, keep a record of their progress and those who meet the challenge receive a certificate at the end of the summer.

It is primarily targeted at children in primary school but local libraries and mobile libraries are encouraging children and young adults of all ages and abilities to join.

Launching the Programme, Minister Quinn said: "Libraries and librarians are a hugely important resource in supporting children's literacy. While libraries are an excellent resource for all families, they can be of particular assistance to families who find it difficult to meet the cost of providing a rich range of books and educational resources in the home.

"The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy acknowledges the importance of libraries and working with libraries to improve literacy. The Summer Reading Programme is an example of this kind of co-operation. It’s a simple, fun and free way of encouraging children to read during the summer break."

Last year thousands of children joined the programme and were inspired to read during the long summer break when their reading skills can decline without the regular reading activity at school.

Reading is a simple, fun activity that can fitted in around family holidays, camps etc. Parents can seek advice from library staff about the types of books that are available for borrowing, especially for emergent and ‘going solo’ readers.

The Summer Reading Programme also gives families an opportunity to see what other events and facilities are available in their local library, such as Internet access, story time, book clubs and many other events.