Holiday reading both fun and educational

ROBYN EDIE 624129945

IN THE WORLD OF WORDS: Riley Paterson, 13, and his sister Tully, 8, enjoy some holiday reading at Invercargill Public Library yesterday.

School's out for summer but children are being encouraged to keep reading while they are on holiday.

The Southland Times and Fairfax Media are encouraging parents to help their kids continue reading with a special programme called Have You Read With Your Child Today?

As part of the programme, the paper will publish stories regularly during the holidays to help parents and youngsters maintain their interest, both by parents reading to their children and the children reading their own books.

Research suggests reading skills can lapse if children do not keep it up during the holidays. It even has a name – the summer learning effect.

The Invercargill Public Library is also running a programme to get children to read for 20 minutes a day for 20 days during summer, for which they can win prizes.

Programme co-ordinator Jillian Hunter said the 600 places on the programme had already been filled, which suggested city parents and caregivers were aware of the importance of reading.

"Younger children, especially, can lose those skills over summer so it is important to to keep that consistency up so they don't fall behind when they get back to school," she said.

Popular books for younger children had been the Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows and the adventures of mild-mannered newspaper reporter mouse Geronimo Stilton. Older boys had been reading the Zac Power series and books by Jacqueline Wilson had been popular with older girls, Ms Hunter said.

Invercargill Paper Plus co-owner Ian Miller said one title had been popular: the story of a three-legged donkey called Wonky Donkey by South Island author Craig Smith, had sold more than 100 copies. The book is based on a song Smith wrote in Te Anau, which is included on a CD with the book.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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