Henderson kids avoid the ‘summer slide’ by logging 2-plus million minutes of reading with Henderson Libraries

Henderson Libraries tallies success of Summer Reading Program; Twitchell Elementary School students lead the way

HENDERSON, Nev. – Henderson Libraries has announced the final tally for its Summer Reading Program, with Henderson preschoolers and elementary school students recording a total of 2,284,059 minutes of reading over the break.

Henderson Libraries says teaming up with APPLE Partnership (a partnership between the Clark county School district, city of Henderson and Henderson Libraries) has led to the unprecedented success of the Summer Reading Program. Students are familiar with the APPLE Core program and the colorful APPLE bookmarks, which they use to track reading minutes during the school year. That familiarity helped students carry over their habits for the Summer Reading Program.

“The purpose of the Summer Reading Program is to encourage kids to read during the summer months, when they are not in school,” said Evelyn Walkowicz, outreach manager for Henderson Libraries. “Research has shown students can slip as much as two grade levels during the summer if they are not actively learning.”

The students at Twitchell Elementary School recorded the greatest number of minutes, earning the title of Top Summer Readers in Henderson. Henderson Libraries and the APPLE Partnership will hold an award presentation at Twitchell Elementary, 2060 Desert Shadow Trail, at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 15. The presentation will feature Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen and Brandon Mull, the 2012 author of APPLE’s Celebration of Reading. The students will receive a plaque that will remain at Twitchell throughout the school year.

Established in 1943 as a single library in Downtown Henderson, Henderson Libraries operates six locations throughout Henderson. Henderson Libraries cooperates with other public libraries in Southern Nevada, the Nevada System of Higher Education, the Clark County School District and all other libraries around the state to provide quality service for Nevada’s residents.

For additional information on Henderson Libraries, visit www.mypubliclibrary.com or call 702-492-6581.