MAYOR BROWN LAUNCHES SIXTH ANNUAL SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

Successful program designed to help students entering grades 1-9 maintain and improve upon their reading and writing skills

BUFFALO – Mayor Byron W. Brown today launched his 6th Annual Kids Summer Reading Challenge, which began in 2001 when Mayor Brown served in the New York State Senate.

Seeing a need to address the literacy problem in New York State, and in particular the children in the City of Buffalo and Western New York, Mayor Brown started the literacy effort that encouraged school children to read books and submit written summaries of each book they had read over the summer months. The Kids Summer Reading Challenge is designed to help students entering grades 1-9 maintain and improve upon their reading and writing skills that they learned during the previous school year.

“It is important that children continue to work on their reading and writing over the summer, so that they do not lose the skills that they learned during the school year,” said Mayor Brown. “The Reading Rules! Kids 2007 Summer Reading Challenge is the perfect way to do this while, at the same time, giving your child a fun and rewarding activity to participate in.  I have recommended additional appropriations in the 2007-08 City Budget for this very important effort.”

The idea behind the Summer Reading Challenge is simple: participating children read 7 books from a provided list over the course of the summer, write a brief summary on each and then return the summaries to Mayor Brown in exchange for an invitation to a prize ceremony in the early fall where they will receive a certificate of achievement and many great prizes donated by the program’s sponsors.  At the ceremony, there will also be dozens of other prizes raffled off, such as computers, bicycles and school supplies.

Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. James A. Williams joined Mayor Brown for the announcement at the Buffalo Waterfront School. Dr. Williams announced that the Summer Reading Challenge will be incorporated into the School District’s summer program.

“As Superintendent of the Buffalo Public Schools, I want to express my enthusiasm and my gratitude to the Mayor for his efforts to create reading opportunities for our youngsters through the Mayor's Summer Reading Program,” said Dr. Williams.  “Research tells us that the more students read, the better readers they become.  It is extremely important for our students to see that the entire community is involved in improving their reading achievement.  The experts agree that literacy, which includes reading and writing, is the cornerstone for success in school. Therefore, the Mayor is on the right track by encouraging students, through his efforts, to become stronger readers and writers so that they can be successful in school and in life.”