Reading program aims to halt ‘summer slide’

Noelle McGee:

School’s out, but that’s no excuse to stop reading, according to a local educator and avid reader.
“We’re really trying to encourage students to read over the summer, so they won’t lose any of the skills that they gained last year,” said Louis K. Morris, the East Park Elementary School librarian.
Morris is encouraging Danville schools K-5 students — and their parents — to participate in the district’s Summer Accelerated Reading Program at the Danville Public Library.
“Last year, our main focus was to get more kids involved. This year, it’s to get more parents involved,” said Morris, the program coordinator. “When a parent shows enthusiasm for something, the child will, too.”
“When parents read with their children, it shows the kids that reading is important, and it’s a lifelong skill,” added Julie Cox, a Title 1 coordinator for the school district.