The end of the school year on Long Island has arrived and State Senator Monica R. Martinez is inviting readers of all ages in the Fourth Senate District to discover new adventures during the upcoming holidays through their participation in the New York State Senate’s 2026 Summer Reading Program.
This annual event encourages parents and caregivers to keep their children engaged in learning, fostering a love of reading, which helps develop concentration skills, sparks the imagination, and facilitates expression.
During the approximately 10-week break, many of our students experience what is known as the “Summer Slide,” a period in which they lose some of the academic gains made during the previous school year. However, just because classes are on pause doesn’t mean that learning and intellectual enrichment have to stop too.
“Summer is the perfect time for students to find excitement and adventure between the pages of a book,” said Senator Martínez.
She further added that: “Encouraging reading during these months allows students to explore their interests and, at the same time, strengthen the reading and comprehension skills that will drive their success in the next school year in September and beyond. As an educator, I encourage families to participate in the State Reading Program to keep their children motivated, intellectually interested and prepared for the return to school in the fall.”
“Unearth a Story” is this year’s national theme, which highlights the joy of discovery that reading brings when exploring new worlds and the idea that every person and every community has stories waiting to be discovered and shared through books, programs and local knowledge.
To participate, parents and guardians are asked to send to Senator Martínez through the Summer Reading Program website, the list of 3 books that their children have read during the summer, no later than August 21, 2026.
Participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement from the senator in recognition of their efforts.
According to representatives from the New York State Library, summer reading programs like this one play an important role in advancing literacy and academic achievement.
Additionally, involving children and adolescents in this exercise helps promote successful experiences and contributes to a continuous learning process within New York communities.
For more information about the State Senate’s 2026 Summer Reading Program visit the web link https://www.nysenate.gov/nyread .
And if you want additional information about the benefits of reading, you can do so by visiting the following links from New York’s Libraries (https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/summer/programstatistics) and Kids and Families Reading Report (https://www.scholastic.com/content/corp-home/kids-and-family-reading-report.html).
