This fall, children and families throughout our local area are enjoying Literacy Parties hosted by United Way and Monroe Smart Start. Fostering a love of reading at a young age is beneficial in so many ways.
Currently only 1 in 3 local children enter kindergarten with the early literacy skills that can help them be successful. When children start school without these skills, they face a more challenging road ahead.
This is why we focus on strengthening education -- starting with our youngest citizens. Literacy Parties create an upbeat, casual learning atmosphere where we engage children in fun alphabet games, distribute free books, and encourage parents in their role as their child’s first teacher.
Exploring books together helps to create strong family bonds and is key to healthy emotional, social, and brain development. Parents are encouraged to think about various ways to share books with their child -- from asking questions and describing pictures to searching for patterns, talking about letter shapes, and guessing what might happen on the next page. During the party we explore B is for Bloomington, a rhyming ABC book featuring local landmarks. Each family receives a copy so they can continue growing literacy skills at home.
United Way and Monroe Smart Start thank these organizations for joining with us to give kids the best start:
Old National Bank Foundation generously provided grant funding
The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County donated B is for Bloomington books
Banneker Center, Broadview Adult Learning Center, Community Kitchen, Crisis Pregnancy Center, Head Start, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, Owen County Public Library, Salvation Army, and the YMCA all hosted literacy parties.
