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Community groups work with libraries, health and child care providers, places of worship, and community organizations to increase parents' access to books and reading awareness programs.
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| The Prenatal to Three Initiative of San Mateo County (CA) promotes early literacy development by establishing close ties to libraries and a local foundation’s child literacy efforts. Home visitors give each family a book, library card application, voucher for a free child T-shirt available at the libraries, and access to a book lending service. Parent support groups and special events are held at libraries.
Ready to Learn Providence, in conjunction with the Providence Public Library, has a program that reaches out to bring underserved families to the library, gives families information about child development, and provides family literacy services. Bilingual outreach workers recruit parents at community events to come with their children to any of 10 library branches for a five- to-nine week program. Parents take courses in child development while their children participate in literacy activities. www.r2lp.org
The Hartford School Readiness Council’s Raising Readers program, in partnership with Making Connections, the Greater Hartford Literacy Council, and the Maria Sanchez School, develops reading circles within the targeted neighborhoods. Parents receive free children’s books and are encouraged to read them with their children. Parents also learn how to raise open-ended questions that foster discussion about the books. www.aecf.org/initiatives/mc/sites | |
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Local coalitions encourage the national and local media to conduct public education campaigns that emphasize:
- The importance of reading to young children at home
- The importance of interacting with young children by talking, questioning, listening, and singing with them
- The value of limiting television viewing
- How much can be done to promote language and literacy development during the first five years of life
- The importance of parents seeking out and becoming involved with child care that is both emotionally nurturing and supportive of children's cognitive development
Local coalitions advocate for public funding to expand the number and reach of high-quality family literacy programs and other efforts to expand parents' ability to cultivate their children's interest in reading and learning.
Local coalitions keep funders and policymakers informed about barriers to effective action that require solutions at the funding, policy, or regulatory level.
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