10/4/07
Head Start participates in reading program, hands out books
By Eric Goold
 |
|
Clarendon School District 2 Director of Food Service Mary Graham reads to children at the Alcolu Head Start last Thursday. Graham was one of many guest readers who participated in a program that encouraged children and their parents to read two books per day. |
Last Thursday at the Alcolu Head Start was all about reading.
Children aged 3- to 5-years old all went into classrooms to hear stories read by special guests from around Clarendon County. Then they all went to the lunchroom for a celebration of reading that culminated in each child being given a book.
The big day was all part of a national program that the Head Start participated in and a delegate from Washington D.C. was on hand to observe.
Tammi Fergusson, a representative of the Reading is Fundamental (or RIF) Program, said that the program encourages children to learn reading from their parents.
“We hope to encourage a family of readers,” said Fergusson. “We’ve seen that the best way for children to learn how to read is from their parents. This program challenges the students to read a book per day at school, and then to have another book read to them by their parents at night. Hopefully this can help parents and students develop their reading skills.”
As a way to encourage participation, each child was monitored and their progress reading books was kept track of throughout the program. Those who read the most books got prizes and their parents got prizes, too.
The prizes were awarded Thursday afternoon and every child in the program was given a book.
“I’m here to observe the book distribution,” said Fergusson, who gets to travel all around the country to different schools to see how the RIF Program works out.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s a really good learning experience to see how a school in California completes our program compared to a school like this one in Alcolu.”
Head Start coordinator Kathy Wright, who was on her toes doing several different tasks on a busy Thursday morning, was thrilled with the turnout for the readings.
“We are so happy to see so many parents here,” said Wright. “This reading program encourages parents to read with their children. The children get at least one book read to them at school per day, and then hopefully their parents read them one at night. Creating a family of readers is the best part of literacy we could ever hope for.”
Students enjoyed readings about a variety of topics, including proper eating, butterflies, and some stories that were just meant for entertainment. The children learned that reading is both educational and fun.
“This has been a wonderful program,” said Wright. “We need things like this to help encourage these children to start reading at an early age.”
|
