CHILD CARE CENTERS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM
YAVAPAI COUNTY, Arizona (September 21, 2011) Child care centers in Yavapai County are being encouraged to apply for participation in an early literacy program aimed at kids 5 and younger.
Yavapai College was recently awarded a $47,500 grant from First Things First to implement a community-based early literacy program called Raising A Reader through area child care centers.
“We know that one of the best things that can prepare children to be successful is to read to them,” said LeAnne Lawhead, program manager for the new Community Based Literacy Project of Yavapai College. “Children who learn to love to read are more successful in school.”
National data shows that only 20% of parents regularly read to their young children, even though the period between birth and 5 years old is when 90% a child’s brain development – and their foundation for learning – is being built. The Community Based Literacy Project will promote reading to children every day by providing families with appropriate reading materials in the home.
“Research shows even reading to your child 10 to 30 minutes per day increases readiness for school and prepares them to read independently,” Lawhead said.
Raising a Reader is like a mobile library. A total of 45 different books are delivered to each child care center, and families take home one of these books each week, bringing back the book at the end of the week to exchange it for another one. When the participating families have rotated through all 45 books, they receive a free book to keep. Free books will be donated by the local chapter of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
The program is anticipated to begin serving children and families in October of this year. Child care centers in the Yavapai County region, including Sedona, are eligible to apply. Additional information for child care centers on the Community Based Literacy Program of Yavapai College and Raising a Reader, is available by calling Carolyn Shelley, Raising A Reader Regional Coordinator at 928-776-2245 or by emailing her at carolyn.shelley@yc.edu.
“We’re grateful to First Things First for the opportunity to implement such an effective program and to collaborate with existing early childhood programs to enhance the good work that is being done,” Lawhead said.
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About First Things First: Through First Things First (FTF), Arizona has committed to ensuring that our youngest kids have the tools they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Approved by voters and funded through a dedicated tax on tobacco products, FTF improves and expands early education and health services for kids birth to 5 years old. Decisions about services funded are made by 31 regional councils – local volunteers representing a diverse cross-section of the community – who know best what their kids need. The statewide FTF Board reviews all regional council recommendations to ensure that they will improve outcomes for kids and families. Our goal: to have a state where every child is “Ready for School. Set for Life.” For more information about First Things First, please visit www.azftf.gov.