In May 2023 in 2023, the Covington County Children’s Policy Council (CCCPC) requested and was recently granted a Grade-Level Read Grant which was provided by the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.
This year’s Grade level Reading Grant funds, totally $20,000. They will pass through the CCCPC since the entire amount grants will be divided between the three school systems of Covington County.
Susan Short, CCCPC Executive Director, as well as the CCCPC Judge Trippy McGuire, both of whom said they are excited to provide schools with strategies that are able to boost the literacy of children in the early years. The first strategy is that every child who is in the first and kindergarten grades will receive a book for free and will also allow each school system to develop their own strategies to increase the amount of the literacy of children.
Covington County Schools’ elementary schools as well as Andalusia elementary School will be focusing on a program known as “Let’s build libraries at home” to fulfill the need of children having books easily accessible at home. Reading is essential to learning and children begin the process at the home. Schools should give all children in the pre-kindergarten through the first grade with two books to bring at home that are suitable in their standard of. Two books are represented by two titles: a nonfiction and a fiction title. CCCPC officials have said that they are enthusiastic about these books because a local theater production company will be bringing them to life with a live performance March 2024.
“We think that the kids will cherish these books and be able to enjoy reading with their parents and their siblings,” officials said.
The two new books each student will be accompanied by an additional list of books to help create their own libraries at home.
Opp Elementary School is designed to build an established literacy foundation, to ensure that every child becomes an accomplished reader.
“We are aware of that it is important to start with the basics early and getting help from our parents. OES will make use of the money in this grant educate parents of kindergarten and preschool children how to help their children’s literacy at the Family Literacy Night,” OES officials stated.
This OES Program will include take-home reading kits to give families and students all the tools they require to make learning enjoyable.
According to data from the national level 60 percent of the kindergarteners living in areas which had poor performance in school didn’t have any books. There are situations that have nothing to do with be related to the child’s socioeconomic status and instead, a situation that encourages children to read at home in those critical years is not considered essential.
According to the American Pediatrics Association reports that reading as young, or even infants reading in the presence of their parents helps them achieve academic success later on.
The article CCCPC grant to fund early childhood literacy initiatives was originally published in The Andalusia Star-News.
