Young children in Cass County are now able to trade a well-done math equation for a sweet treat, thanks to the Cass District Library.

On Aug. 14, the Cass District Library started its Math Scoops program that will run until Sept. 2. The program works by providing children with packets full of math problems for them to complete. The children can then turn in their completed packet in exchange for an ice cream treat.

“We want to reward kids for their accomplishments,” said Director of the Cass District Library Jennifer Ray.

According to Ray and the organizer of the program Stephanie Knepple, the goal of the program is to help children exercise their minds and freshen up on their math skills before starting school in September.

The packets the library offer vary on grade level. Often children will choose the grade level they are on, so that they can simply brush up on the math they learned the previous school year before starting a new grade. However, plenty of students like to challenge themselves through the math scoops program and will choose math packet one or two levels above their grade, Knepple said.

“It’s kind of a good way to breach summer reading and school,” Ray said. “It keeps minds active.”

Programs like Math Scoops may play an important role in a child’s education. Studies have shown that on average children lose 2.6 months’ worth of math learning and up to three months of reading learning over the course of summer break. It is believed that income plays a large role in these numbers, with lower-income children losing more learning over the summer than their peers of higher socio-economic status.

Preventing this kind of summer reading loss was on the brain when Knepple heard of a similar idea at a conference and decided to implement the program at the Cass District Library six years ago.

“We thought it was a great idea and decided to bring it to our library.” Knepple said. “It really has been successful here.”

In the years since the program began, it has changed quite a bit, Knepple said.

The first year the program ran, the Cass District Library organized an end-of-summer party for the children who participated, which featured ice cream from a local shop and other foods. However, in recent years the library has moved to supplying each branch with ice cream treats to be given to children immediately after they turn a packet in rather than having one party.

“This way no one gets left out if they can’t make it to the party,” Knepple said. “It’s instant gratification and reward.”

Knepple said the program is well received by the community, with an annual enrollment averaging 200 children. On Monday, the first day of this year’s program, Knepple had 13 children enroll at the main branch alone.

Both children and parents are fans of the program, Knepple said. Parents enjoy it because it provides an incentive for children to learn, and children like it because it makes learning fun, she said.

“Kids often don’t want to do things like math, but when they hear they can get ice cream for doing it, they are on board,” Knepple said.