Teachers
Program
The TD Summer Reading Club's objective is simple: to develop a taste for reading in children, in order to consolidate what they learn in school, strengthen their reading skills, foster new reading habits, and encourage children to visit their library regularly.
How the Club works
As soon as children are registered at their public library, they each receive an awesome poster depicting the current year's theme and colours. They also receive a bilingual activity booklet with games, recipes and drawings with a log sheet for recording the books they have read. As well, each child receives nine stickers specially designed for Club members.
To join the Club, children must each set themselves a goal for the summer: when they are registered, they choose the number of books they would like to read, or have read to them, during their vacation. Using the stickers provided in the kit, they can then track their progress by attaching one sticker to their poster for each book they read. Once they have read nine books and attached the corresponding stickers to their poster, they will discover a completely transformed poster.
As well, the kit is accompanied by a wide range of complementary activities designed to reflect children's ages, interests and abilities.
List of complementary activities
Each library is free to choose the activities it wishes to offer Club members. These activities can include the following.
Weekly gatherings: Children are invited to share their reading experiences by presenting oral, illustrated or written book reports to their fellow Club members. In this way, they develop their oral communication, drawing, summarizing and reading skills. By listening to their friends, they also broaden their horizons to encompass new books, ideas, writers and collections.
Special guests: In order to heighten children's interest, libraries may organize presentations on the annual theme, by inviting prominent persons such as illustrators, writers, storytellers, the mayor, firefighters or athletes.
Story hour: Libraries may also offer group reading sessions. Discussions may arise from the readings that will allow children to share their views and thoughts.
Interactive Internet games: TD Summer Reading Club members can access the games on the Kids' pages Website. From June through August, you can check out these interactive games.
Other activities: Crafts, songs, contests, quizzes, celebrations, guessing games, jokes, funny stories, treasure hunts ... there's no limit to the activities library staff can think up!
The TD Summer Reading Club is a reliable, proven program created by the Toronto Public Library in 1994. The national version of this program is developed by a Toronto team of children's librarians in collaboration with the Ottawa and Montréal public libraries and Library and Archives Canada, the program can be adapted to any public library regardless of size. It is readily accessible and thus can complement the school year in all parts of Canada.
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