Parents of preschool children participated in a new literacy program called Raising School Ready Readers at Greene County Extension in March. Families that attended were able to participate in fun and educational activities and enjoy an evening as a family. The program was made possible by funds received from Communities 4 Children and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children neighborhood/Community Network Mini Grants.
“We’ve had several families in Greene County take our Family Storyteller program where parents learned the basics of how to read to their young children to help them learn. The Raising School Ready Readers program takes it to the next level, by showing parents how to teach their children to read, but in really simple and fun ways,” said Sue Richardson, Families Program Coordinator with Greene County Extension.
Why focus on developing children’s literacy skills? Research shows that good literacy skills have a long-term impact on a child’s development. Reading proficiency by third grade is the most important predictor of high school graduation and career success.
This program gives parents the opportunity to invest in their child’s future by investing in literacy now. Parents know that it’s important for their kids to know how to read, but it can be really hard to help young children develop the skills they need to learn to read. Knowing what to teach them, how to teach them, or having a lot of extra time to teach them can be a challenge for parents. That’s what is good about this new program, Raising School Ready Readers. This program focuses on how parents can teach their children the skills they need to learn to read by using opportunities in everyday life.
ISU Extension and Outreach in Greene County will offer the Raising School Ready Readers program in the future. Parents who are interested in learning more about the program can watch for flyers, check the Greene County Extension Facebook page or contact the Extension office at 515-386-2138.
