Atglen Public Library

Beginning in October young readers can join Reading Dragons & Friends, a school-year reading incentive program developed by Dover Public Library in Dover, Ohio, and generously shared with libraries nationwide. Readers record the days they read at least 30 minutes in their reading tracker and earn a designated playing card each week. Cards are grouped in families, each with an egg, baby, teenager, and adult. Catch-up months will be offered twice a year to earn cards that may have been missed.

Playing cards can be used to play rock-paper-scissors, war, and other games. Meet-ups for participants will be scheduled for playing games, trading cards, and making new friends. They are standard sized, so they fit in collectible sleeves for safekeeping as well.

“The development of literacy skills is crucial in a child’s academic trajectory, especially during early childhood and elementary school years. Exposure to language and reading builds vocabulary and sets the stage for future learning and academic achievement. The National Reading Panel found that increasing the time that children spend reading is the most important strategy for improving literacy skills in fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Children who are not exposed to and engaged in reading as part of their daily lives are more likely to fall behind in school.” CLSP Summer Reading White Paper, 2014.