other Seuss-themed goodies. In Tarkio, the Read First! partners provide a bag containing a book and Read First! tee
shirt to new mothers and their babies. While some of these collaborative efforts would have taken place without
Read First!, the committees reported that the project helped the groups focus on the common goal of increasing the
number of parents who read to their children. The Read First! partners also reported that working on the project has
helped them have a better understanding about the work of other agencies and what types of collaborations might
be possible in the future to promote family reading.
The relationship the between the local library and groups such as PAT and Head Start were also strengthened
during the Read First! project. Story times for babies and toddlers were created with Parents as Teachers educators
advising the librarians. Grant funds were used to purchase board books specifically for the very youngest patrons,
and large comfortable chairs were purchased so that a parent and child could snuggle with a book in the library. At
RFTS programs held in Head Start centers, local librarians sent information about the library story time opportunities
and encouraged parents to get library cards. The Friends of the Library in Mountain View paid overdue fines for
patrons with young children during an “amnesty week.” The libraries partnered with existing networks to reach
families that were not yet frequenting the library.
The second year of Read First! also saw an increase in the media’s participation in encouraging family reading.
Newspaper articles and radio interviews about family reading were becoming more frequent. In addition to media
coverage, the communities found creative ways to showcase family reading. In Moberly, families were invited to
create family “book reports.” Parents and their children wrote about a favorite children’s book and included photos
of the parent and child reading together. The reports were mounted on large, colorful posters, laminated, and
displayed around town.
Businesses and organizations not traditionally involved in literacy efforts also participated in Read First! For
example, in Cuba, the committee recruited a cadre of 30 volunteer readers, several of whom were members of the
Chamber of Commerce, to go into area daycares and preschools to read to young children. Local businesses in
several communities provided small reading areas and high quality books for families, as well as donating
refreshments and books for use at family reading events.
Moving Forward with Read First!
MHC and the Read First! partners are preparing to enter the third year of the project. Butler County, Cuba,
Macon, Marion County, Moberly, Mountain View, Savannah, Springfield , Tarkio, and Washington will participate.
One focus during this phase of Read First! will be on measuring the change in reading frequency of parents who
attend RFTS programs. MHC will also be working with each community to create a plan for sustaining Read First! in
the future. For more information about Read First! and the READ from the START program, please visit
www.mohumanities.org.
References
Preschool Curriculum. (2009). What’s in it for children and teachers. Retrieved from
www.ashankerinst.org
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). The condition of
education 2009 (NCES 2009–081), Table A-2-1. Retrieved from
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009081.pdf
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