An image depicting a summertime scene. It shows a group of children of diverse descents and genders, Caucasian, Hispanic, Black, Middle-Eastern, South Asian and White boys and girls equitably distributed. Some are playing a game of 'capture the flag' in a yard with the streetlights beginning to glow at dusk. Others are gathered on beach towels, deeply engrossed in various books. The warm colors of a summer afternoon prevail, and in the background, the silhouette of a school can be seen.

Use the paragraph to answer the question.

Summer should be a time of heading to the beach with friends and playing capture the flag in the yard until the streetlights come on. However, research suggests that it should also be a time for learning. Summer learning loss, sometimes referred to as the "summer slide," is a loss of academic achievement students experience during the summer. Schools should implement summer reading programs to help combat this summer setback. Engaging summer reading programs help to foster lifelong readers. Reading over the summer helps children keep their literacy skills up, and with a broader selection of books, the program can pique the interest of reluctant readers. what’s the authors purpose?
• to show the ineffectiveness of summer reading programs in schools
• to outline the components of a strong summer reading program
• to show the benefits of summer reading programs in schools
• to explain how children should spend their summers

The author's purpose is to show the benefits of summer reading programs in schools.

The author's purpose is to show the benefits of summer reading programs in schools.

The author's purpose is to show the benefits of summer reading programs in schools. The paragraph explains that summer learning loss is a real issue and that schools should implement summer reading programs to combat this setback. It emphasizes that engaging summer reading programs help foster lifelong readers, keep literacy skills up, and pique the interest of reluctant readers. Therefore, the author's purpose is to highlight the advantages and importance of summer reading programs.