Great River Regional Library (GRRL) is offering three Summer Reading Programs (SRP) starting Monday, June 8. All kids have to do to join in is register at their local library. It's free of charge and fun all summer long.

Studies show that children who continue to read during the summer do better in fall when school resumes. If kids take part in a summer reading program at their library they are likely to improve their literacy and reading skills instead of slipping backwards. At GRRL, the SRP includes activities and prizes to keep kids involved and to make the experience one they'll enjoy returning to each year.

All 32 branch libraries in GRRL will offer three different programs aimed at different age groups. The programs are:

Be Creative @ Your Library - Read To Me for children from 0-3

The 0-3 program for babies and toddlers provides a reading list and activities parents can do with their children. It's a program designed to help kids develop the essential building blocks to literacy: print motivation, phonological awareness, narrative skills, letter knowledge, print awareness and vocabulary.

Be Creative @ Your Library for children ages 3-12

The 3-12 program provides children with a goal of nine hours of reading. The time is broken into 20-minute segments they mark off on a reading record.

Express Yourself @ Your Library for teens in grades 6-12

The teen program asks teens to track their reading in 30-minute segments which they mark on coupons they then enter for local and regional incentive drawings.

Children may read books, magazines and newspapers, and listen to audiobooks to accumulate reading time for the SRP. Book reading during the summer improves academic gains, and studies show that children who read at least six books over summer gain more than children who do not.