January 19, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Importance Of Childhood Literacy
Stressed On Take Your Child To The Library Day
BENTON, KY – We all know childhood literacy is important, but recent studies have driven home the point of just how important it is.
“According to one study put out by the Write Express Corporation, approximately two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare,” says Kristi Tucker, Director of the Marshall County Public Library. “Another study shows that nearly 85% of juveniles who face trial are functionally illiterate, as are 60% of all total inmates. Seventy-five percent of Americans who receive food stamps perform at the two lowest levels of literacy, and 90% of college dropouts are on welfare. When we talk about the importance of childhood literacy, we’re not just talking about AR points and future academic success. We’re talking about one of the strongest indicators of a person’s future success, period.”
Educators have long known that early childhood is the prime time to promote literacy. The earlier a child is exposed to books and reading, the more likely they will be to develop early literacy skills, and the more they read throughout childhood, the less likely they will be to fall behind their peers.
Just how many of our kids are falling behind? According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, over 60% of eighth graders are not proficient at reading, and most will never catch up. And the National Commission on Adult Literacy reports that the United States is the only free-market Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development country where the current generation is less educated than the previous one.
“At the Marshall County Public Library, we’re very invested in the children of our community,” says Tucker. “We know that if we want Marshall County to continue to grow and thrive, we will need today’s generation to grow up to be adults who have the education and skills needed to be productive members of our community. It’s why we focus so much of our efforts on childhood literacy with our summer reading programs, Children’s Book Week, Story Hour and After-School programs, the new Merry the Christmas Fairy programs, and the upcoming Take Your Child To The Library Day.”
Take Your Child to the Library Day will be celebrated at all three branches of the Marshall County Public Library on Saturday, February 6, 2016. The program, which began in Connecticut in 2011, is designed to encourage parents to introduce their children to libraries and reading.
Tucker says the simple act of visiting the library with your child can make a huge difference in their reading ability.
“The best ways to promote literacy to your children is to read to them early and often, and to regularly visit your public library. The National Center for Education Statistics has proven a direct correlation between a public library’s circulation of children’s material and children’s programming statistics with fourth grade reading scores.”
The Marshall County Public Library has three branches - @Benton, @Calvert City, and @Hardin – and a Bookmobile service. For more information about Take Your Child to the Library Day or any of library’s services for children, visit www.marshallcolibrary.org or contact your local branch at 270-527-9969.