RIF: EXERCISING YOUR MIND; RIF ENCOURAGES READING DURING THE SUMMER WHEN ITS MOST BENEFICIAL

"When you're reading, your mind is being exercised," said Ann Randolph, youth services coordinator at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

Reading Is Fundamental, or RIF, is a national program that encourages children to read. It's sponsored and funded by YELL -- Youth, Education, Literacy and Learning.

"We want to get books into the hands of children," Randolph said. The library co-sponsors the RIF program each summer.

The library gives away hundreds of books to children as incentives to get them to read as part of the summer program. For every four books the children read, the library gives them a free book to take home.

The Homework and Literacy Center, now at the Salvation Army, also presents the summer reading program for those who might not have transportation readily available. The center also helps children do homework throughout the school year.

The books for RIF are paid for by a grant from the YELL program. Randolph said children enjoy getting books and start their own libraries at home.

And reading's the best way to learn.

"Literacy is important because it's the basis of a good education and reading is a way of building on that," Randolph said. "In general, kids do like reading and younger ones love to be read to."

The RIF program also gives away two bikes, for a girl and boy each summer. Those who read six books over nine weeks enter their names in a drawing, which determines the winners.

RIF attempts to instill a desire to read early on, she said, because as children get older, they become occupied with other interests and reading may go by the wayside.

"Once they hit fifth grade, they become interested in sports, band and other things and they don't read as much," Randolph said.

The library here presents the program over the summer because school isn't in session and most children don't think about reading then.

But summer reading is every bit as important as school-time reading, Randolph said. Maybe even more so.

"Reading during the summer on a continual basis causes children to retain more knowledge," she said. "They then will have to do less review when school gets back and have a quicker improvement rate."

RIF and the library hope children will read instead of becoming couch potatoes.

And Randolph said children can read fictional stories and learn just as much.

"Certainly they can learn from stories," she said. "Depending on the book they choose, they can learn about different cultures and ethnic groups and about how other people feel."