Editorial by Mary Ekene

The Public Library is an excellent place for children to come and spend some of their summer reading. Yes, amusement parks, water parks, zoos, circuses, going to grandma’s house are all great things for kids to do; but picking up a good book or enrolling your children in book programs will enhance your child’s vocabulary and keep them learning.

It is not very often that you see children reading anymore. It is both sad and disappointing for the simple fact, what happened to making reading fundamental. In our society today, kids want to bury their heads in television, video games, cell phones, snap chat, social media, etc. You rarely see children getting out a book and finding entertainment in the pictures or the plot of the book anymore.

I remember my father every summer taking my siblings and me to the library and each of us would go home literally with about twenty books. WE LOVED TO READ! Both of my parents instilled in all of us that reading was very important. They taught us that reading in correlation with a good education were two things no one could take from us.

My father is a doctor and a business owner and my mother is a registered nurse. They both worked very hard to provide a good life for my siblings and me and paid for all of us to go to college out of pocket. We did not get grants nor was financial aid, my parents made sure that getting a great education one of their number one priorities. Because of that, I am so grateful because it has made me into the woman I am today valuing the importance to read.

Having your children read a book instead of watching eight of hours of television will keep their attention span curious and eager to learn when they start school every year. Even at the marvelous age of thirty-six, I still read books. I like to pick up a great book, find a comfortable place to sit and dig in. It stimulates my mind and challenges me to push myself in learning new things.

My little girl is four and I encourage her to read every day. She likes to read and reads to me all of the time. Parents before you purchase that Play station 3, X-box, rent some movies or go to the park, consider taking your kids to the library. There are a lot of summer programs at the library and prizes for children to win for reading contests etc. What a child learns early on in their child hood is how they will exploit themselves in their adulthood. READING IS TRULY FUNDAMENTAL!

Mary Ekene/ The Institute of Performing Arts