Reading for CCEF’s First Library

“Building Pathways to Literacy”

Nothing better than getting to read to our students. I try and never pass up an opportunity to read to our students. Wednesday I was at Central Ridge Elementary in Ms. Harris’s kindergarten class. Her amazing class was just awesome. Thank you to the Citrus County Education Foundation First Library program for providing these great stories and reading opportunities!

Below is an excerpt from the CCEF website on the First Library program;

“CCEF has used the Pre-k classrooms at our local public schools due to the fact that these students are prescreened based upon learning disabilities and economic need. Statistics show that a child from a middle income home typically enters the first grade with over 1,000 hours of one-on-one picture book reading time with parents or guardians, while a child from a low income family typically averages below 100 hours. By providing these at-risk students with a library of books to take home and call their own at a young age, CCEF and its partners hope to increase those students’ chances of success in reading by the time they reach third grade, leading to greater success throughout their academic lives.

The program encourages reading by coordinating “read-ins” with the classrooms on six designated dates throughout the school year. Following each “read-in,” each student is given a copy of the book to take home for their own “first library.” Students are encouraged to share the book with their parents and inspire a passion for reading nightly in the home.

Recent research shows that there is an undeniable and strong correlation between early childhood reading and long term academic success. One study by the The Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that students who are reading at or above grade level by the third grade are significantly more likely to graduate high school and find a job than those who are behind.

Because of this, having the building blocks and access to reading materials at a young age is extremely critical. Beginning in October 2013, CCEF worked with each of the 22 Pre-Kindergarten classes in the county to help create each student’s “first library,” and Kindergarten classrooms were added during the 2017-2018 school year.”

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