RUMFORD — Area young people are invited to “Make a Splash…Read!” during the Summer Reading Program at the Rumford Public Library. The 2010 Summer Reading Program is open to children of all reading abilities, from preschool through age 14.

Reading during the summer months helps children enhance their reading and comprehension skills and their vocabulary. Younger children may develop a positive, enthusiastic attitude towards learning to read when they are read to regularly.

Again this year, area businesses, Old Fort Western in Augusta and the Portland Sea Dogs are working together with the Rumford Library to add encouragement through incentives to the young readers.

Children are asked to read at least five days each week, for a length of time based upon the child’s age. Pre-readers may be read to by a parent, older sibling or other caregiver. Participants in the program will have four weeks, from Sunday, June 27, through Saturday, July 24, to meet their reading goals.

Each week that a reader meets the appropriate goal, he will receive a coupon for a kid’s meal. Readers who meet the goal all four weeks will receive certificates for an ice cream treat and a personal pizza. After turning in their first completed reading log, readers will receive a voucher good for a free ticket to a Portland Sea Dogs game.

The summer reading awards celebration for those who participate in the reading program will take place on Wednesday, July 28.

More information on the program, as well as the reading logs, are available at the library. The calendar of events for the library’s four-week Summer Fest daily activity program, which begins Tuesday, July 6, is also available in the Children’s Room and at the main desk.