Forget the pool this summer, Franklin Square kids dive into reading at the library

Two summer reading programs at the Franklin Square Public Library have inspired children to make reading a higher priority on their summer activity list.

The Summer Buddies Reading Program pairs teens with younger children who want to practice reading and is new to the library this year. The Summer Reading Challenge programhas been at the Franklin Square library for 30 years encouraging children to set reading goals and support environmental organizations by counting how many books they read.

“They love it,” Cathy Parris, grandmother of a child in the program, said. “I say, ‘Do you want to go to the pool some time?’ They say, ‘No, we want to go to the library.’”

The theme for the challenge this year is “All together now.” Diane Gregory, children’s services librarian, made it her own by adding “kids can make a better world” to the theme. She created a character named Blaze Wilder, who travels the world asking kids how they think other children can make the world better.

To go with that theme, Gregory donates to certain environmental organizations each week if the children collectively reach a certain number of books finished for that week. She donates to organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation and Long Island Splash, which helps keep Long Island waters clean.

During the reading buddies program, teens help the younger childrenwith pronunciation, definitions and learning techniques like chunking. In chunking, readers break down words into sounds they’re familiar with and put them together.

“My favorite moment is when I say something wrong and they always fix my words,” said Lyla McGrade, 6, who participates in both programs. “When I say the word and I don’t know what it means, they tell me what it means.”

The reading buddies program is organized with drop-in participation, because the same teens and children aren’t there every week.

“Children have different speeds of how they learn,” said 15-year-old Fiona Lin, one of the teens participating in the program. “You have to pace yourself for each child and help them.”

The teens were recommended to the program by Bridget Catapano, the school counselor at H. Frank Carey High School. The teens all need a certain number of community service hours for the National Honor Society. Catapano said it’s difficult for teens to find enough service opportunities in the area.

“I’ve reached out to all the places I could possibly reach out to,” Daphne Levy, the teen services librarian, said about the search for service hours for teens. “It’s making me have anxiety when I go to work.”

“Daphne has been wonderful,” Meghan McGrade, Lyla’s mother, said. “She is always making sure the children are paired up with a student they are comfortable with and reading the books that interest them.”

Other teens whohelp the youngsters heard about the program from friends and relatives.

“I love doing it because you’re influencing them, helping them to read,” 16-year-old Jamie Moncysaid. “It’s a very nice thing and (the kids are) the future.”

Prizes are given out in raffle and competition style as part of the reading challenges. For the raffle, a child can read any number of books in a week and get a raffle ticket. Those tickets stay in the same jar until the end of the summer when all the weekly raffles are over.

When a child finishes a book, they have to make a report on it. Some speak just a few sentences, some speak for 10 minutes.

For competitions, the little ones that range from 18 months to 4 years old usually have to color a page. The older childrenin kindergarten through sixth grade usually have to answer a riddle. Winners are always chosen at random from those who accomplish the challenge. Gregory chooses their prizes based on which child wins the competition or raffle, because she knows all of them personally.