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Literacy
Invest an Hour in Reading with a Child

In a Rotary meeting conversation with Gina Martin, MLIS, Public Service Librarian, Fayette County Public Library - we were inspired to get involved with school and library reading programs.

Gina noted that, "As a librarian, I have the opportunity to read to children to promote the library and to foster a love of reading in our young patrons in hopes that they will be life-time patrons of the library. As a parent, I read to my children from the time they were born to form a connection with them and to encourage them to dream of the beautiful things only told in stories from books. No one told me to do this, but I was read to as a child and we often follow the traditions of our own upbringing when we become parents. Research shows that children who are read to become early readers, succeed in school and often tend to become leaders professionally.

Regardless of the research or expert opinions, the quality time spent reading to, with or aloud to a child or children is more valuable than gold, more memorable than a trip to Disney World and plants the seeds for life-long learning that can lead to discovery, ignite passion and develop curiosity.

Libraries are a great, free resource to check out books to read to children or to bring your children to be read to. If you want to ignite passion for reading, volunteer at your local library.

Reading builds compassion and consciousness in children and gives stability to children in unstable situations. No matter where they go in life, no one can take reading from them or what they learned from reading a book [or having a book read to them]." .

Rotarians, whatever your age or talents, wrench an hour out of your week to read to a child or listen to a child read to you. If possible, support projects that give books to children. You will change the trajectories of young lives.

Posted by Brenda Erickson
October 4, 2018

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