Summer Learning

Hello Alamo!

School is just getting out for the city’s kiddos, and I know plenty of parents are searching for summer activities.

You might have noticed that this blog decided to sponsor the summer reading series, Unearth a Story, this year. This post is all about why!

I have interviewed the Youth Services librarian Ami Jones. I have walked through the Youth Services section many times. I absolutely love the library and everything they offer. But I am immensely impressed at how much there is to support learning and curiosity in that section. I’ve been to the library with my brother and nieces up in Branchburg, NJ, and though we are so much smaller of a community, these amazing workers have found a way to make that space pretty 1:1 comparable.

I think kids deserve access to every kind of knowledge that could help them navigate this world, and reading is a fantastic way to impart a lot of it. Obviously, just learning words in context is very helpful for developing vocabulary, and higher levels of reading can help children identify similes, metaphors, foreshadowing, etc. All of this helps develop their minds.

This past Saturday at our Humanist meeting, we talked about the different ways we can engage in critical thinking. Ultimately we came to the conclusion that book clubs and discussing storytelling were probably the most accessible way to exercise the muscle that is our brain. Thinking critically is often an overall goal of education. Instead of the focus being on what to think, it’s more on the how and why of thinking. This sets us up for a lifetime of using our cognition. I believe lifetime learning is really important. Donating to help with that process made me feel great.

The kickoff for the summer reading program is this Friday from noon to 4:30pm. A petting zoo will be set up at Alamogordo Public Library from 1-3.

As noted on the FB event, “when you register you will receive a schedule of all the exciting summer programs, as well as game boards for earning prizes. Attend and earn as much or as little as your summer schedule allows.” Registration is open and free to all ages, including adults, all summer!

Salud!