Last week we began a series on the blog that’s all about true school readiness. After all, the mission of First Steps is to create a community where children are ready for school.
It takes a team to get each child ready for school. And YOU — as parents, coaches, librarians, health care providers, teachers, childcare workers {and others} — are a critical part of that team.
We want to celebrate our fantastic school-readiness team right here in Pickens County. Each week leading up to school, we’ll have a post here on a blog, shining a spotlight on some of our superheroes who are helping kids become ready learners. Our hope is that you’ll become connected with those in our community, learn more about what they do, and pass their services along to those in your circle of influence.
What a simple and everyday way to make a difference in the lives of children and family right where we live!
Last week we celebrated our doctors and nurses who make early intervention possible.
This week’s superheroes: librarians and the many services of our local library system
We’ve talked before about why reading to your young child is more important than you think:
* Fifteen minutes / day of independent reading can = 1 million + words in a year!
* Reading to a child in an interactive style raises his or her IQ by over 6 points.
* Daily reading to children puts them almost 1 year ahead of those who are not being read to.
Simply put, taking just 15 minutes a day to read with your child is widely recognized as the single most important thing you can do to help your children acquire early language skills. This activity also promotes a love for reading early on in your child’s life and encourages them to read more as they get older.
Visits to your local library branch can be a regular treat for you and the children you care for. {They don’t realize that it’s also getting them ready for school.}
Allow kids to load up their library totes with as many books as they like! This demonstrates that books should be an important and abundant part of everyday life.
Each library branch has inviting reading areas for children to cozy up with their books. And plush chairs in the juvenile section are there for you and your children to read together.
Everyday life with little ones can be messy and mundane, but the library can be a wonderful oasis of new books, time together, and a gathering place with other parents and children in the community. When my own children were young, weekly story time was one of our favorite activities.
Visit the Children’s Program Event Calendar and the library newsletter for lists of all the Pickens County Library System’s programs and events.
What are YOUR favorite programs and services that our local libraries offer?
Connect with us in the comments section or through our communities on Facebook and Twitter. Pickens County First Steps is also on Pinterest. Find great ideas for nurturing the young children in your life!
Want to know how YOU can help promote great childhoods in your community? It’s easy. SHARE our posts with your friends! Use the social media buttons at the bottom of this post. Together, we can make a difference.
You Might Also Enjoy
School Readiness Superheroes: Doctors, Nurses, and Early Intervention
Giraffes Can’t Dance, Our 2015 Book of the Year & Day of Reading Selection
The Superpower You Didn’t Know You Had. How Talking is Teaching
Why Reading to Your Young Child Matters More Than You Think {plus a few helpful tips}
A FREE and Simple Resource for Building Literacy in Your Young Child
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Special thanks to Greenville County First Steps and their School Readiness Guide for providing content and graphics.
