Born to Read spreads the word about the importance of reading, talking, singing with children right from the start through outreach to families before birth, immediately after birth, and during the first 3 years of life. This year, through these outreach strategies, we have distributed over 9,500 books in our community to-date.
Michigan is currently ranked 41st in the country in 4th grade reading levels. Nearly 70% of our state’s 4th graders are not reading at grade level. If nothing changes, our state will be ranked 48th by 2030. In the Grand Traverse region, only about 53% of 3rd graders are reading proficiently.
The root of this poor performance starts early. 40% of Michigan’s children enter Kindergarten at the lowest level of school readiness. Studies clearly show the importance of parents reading, talking, and singing with their children starting at birth. The first three years of life are the greatest and most critical period of brain growth. At age three, there are visible differences in brain development between children who are read to and those who are not. By the time children enter school this gap has increased. The more words a child hears, the larger their vocabulary, and the better prepared they are for school.
Children’s vocabulary and language skills are linked to their economic backgrounds. The vocabulary gap is evident in toddlers. By 18 months children in different socio-economic groups display dramatic differences in the sheer number of words they have heard. By 3 years of age, there is a 30 million-word gap between children from the wealthiest and those from the poorest families. This gap only gets worse as children struggle with reading and get further and further behind in school.
Reading, interacting with, telling stories, singing to babies 0-3 is the single most important things parents can do to help ensure their child’s school readiness and success. Yet, only 40% of parents read to their preschool children everyday; only 15% read with their babies, and just 7% read with them everyday.
Born to Read is trying to
change these disheartening statistics.
Born to Read has created a 3-point strategy for engaging families with young children and encouraging them to read to their babies, every day, right from the start.
Welcome baby packets go to every newborn and their family at the Munson Medical Center. Over 1,400 packets are distributed yearly.
Link new parents to local libraries where they receive a gift bag with another free book for their baby and are encouraged to participate in story times and other activities.
Monthly delivery of books to 8 preschools. Over 300 books delivered per month!
Upon delivery, parents of newborns at Munson receive a Welcome Baby packet, assembled by Rotarians. The Packet “For You and Your Baby” includes a book for baby, a certificate for another free book when they visit the Traverse Area District Library, information about brain development and why reading is important.
When new parents bring their certificate to the Traverse Area District Library they receive a Born to Read tote bag with a second free book as well as information about story times for infants and toddlers and other library activities. These tote bags, sponsored by Friends of the Library, are also distributed to parents of children birth to 3 during the library’s Summer Reading Club.