First 5 LA Kicks Off Child Literacy Month
       By: First 5 LA
Posted: 2007-11-05 00:26:43
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every year, 35 percent of American children start kindergarten without the language skills they need to learn to read. Child development experts have found that reading aloud to children before they start school better prepares them for success and helps cultivate a love of reading, a vital foundation for lifelong learning. To promote early literacy among Los Angeles County children ages 5 and younger, First 5 LA, with the participation of First 5 LA Commissioner Corina Villaraigosa, today launched the "Read Early, Read Aloud" public awareness campaign at the annual Festival of Readers at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar. Parents are being encouraged to read aloud to their children, participate in literacy events and consider books when choosing gifts for children during the holidays and other special occasions.

More than 1,000 people attended this year's Festival of Readers, which was presented by Friends of the Family, Child Care Resource Center, LA Mission College Family Development Network, and First 5 LA. Supporting sponsors were Broadous Ready for School, Urban Education Partnership, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) of Southern California, and SUBWAY. The Festival of Readers, founded in 2003 by Friends of the Family, is a community celebration of the power of reading in the home.

In addition, First 5 LA Executive Director Evelyn Martinez announced today that the County of Los Angeles has issued a proclamation designating November "Child Literacy Month," emphasizing the importance of reading aloud to a young child's development. First 5 LA is promoting Child Literacy Month, and the importance of early literacy, together with a group of community and business partners, including the County of Los Angeles Public Library system, Barnes & Noble Book Fairs, BookPALS and First Book.

First 5 LA's "Read Early, Read Aloud" campaign is part of a larger regional Child Literacy Month campaign among the First 5 Commissions of Southern California. Seven other Commissions (Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties) are encouraging parents and caregivers of children ages 5 and younger to read aloud to their young children and to start building their home libraries early. "Research has shown that the first five years of life are critical to a child's language development," said Carol H. Rasco, president and chief executive officer of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's oldest and largest children's and family literacy organization, and a partner in the regional First 5 campaign. "Parents and caregivers can help get young children off to a fast start by reading, talking and interacting with them every day," Rasco said.

Thanks to the generosity of Barnes & Noble and its customers, the "Read Early, Read Aloud" campaign will be supported by a three-day Book Fair during the weekend following Thanksgiving (11/23 - 11/25), reminding parents that books are the best gifts for children. Customers will present Book Fair vouchers (available at http://www.First5LA.org) to the cashier at participating Barnes & Noble locations, and a percentage of their purchases will be donated in the form of Barnes & Noble gift cards to First 5 LA families. In addition, the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade Barnes & Noble location will hold a First 5 LA Holiday Book Drive. Customers are encouraged to purchase books throughout the holiday season and donate them to L.A. County families through First 5 LA.

Child Literacy Month Events (listed at http://www.First5LA.org)

--11/03: Campaign launch at "Festival of Readers" at L.A. Mission College, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

--11/10: "L.A. Storytelling Festival" at Exposition Park's Expo Center, 9:00 a.m. - 8:30
p.m.

--11/23 - 11/25: Barnes & Noble Book Fairs to raise funds for literacy in L.A. County. Participating locations: Santa Monica Third Street Promenade, The Grove, Westside Pavilion, Pasadena, Long Beach, Torrance, Glendale and Woodland Hills (vouchers available for download at First5LA.org)

--11/29: "First 5 LA Champion for Our Children Award" presentation, Long Beach Public Library, main library. Time to be determined.

--Ongoing: Various toddler read-aloud events at County of Los Angeles Public Libraries (see calendar at colapublib.org)

Early Literacy Facts
--A child who has been read to from a young age has heard more than 30 million words by age 3 and has a vocabulary of 20,000 words by age 6. (Hart & Risley, 1995)

--Most reading problems faced by today's adolescents and adults are the result of problems that might have been avoided or resolved in their early childhood years. (National Research Council, 2000)

--Language development in young [bilingual] children, regardless of what specific language it occurs in, is very important for future success in reading in English. (National Council of La Raza, 2004)

Five Early Literacy Tips for Parents

--Read to your child every day for at least 30 minutes in total.

--Try reading for a few minutes at a time, children may only sit for a short time for a story.

--Make the story come alive - create voices for the characters or sing about the pictures.

--Ask questions about the story and let your child ask questions too.

--For infants, choose simple and colorful cloth and vinyl books.

For preschoolers, choose books with repetition and rhyme.

About First 5 LA

First 5 LA is a unique child-advocacy organization created by California voters to invest tobacco tax revenues in programs for improving the lives of children in Los Angeles County, from prenatal through age 5. First 5 LA champions health, education and safety causes concerning young children and families.
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