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It's All About the Kids
It's All About the Kids
At First 5 Yolo, "It’s All About the Kids."
Our Mission Statement best describes us:
First 5 Yolo will assist our community to raise children who are healthy and ready to learn. We will assure that our resources are effectively used and all community voices heard.
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First 5 Yolo Gives “High 5” to Yolo County Library
“Families Reading Together” program geared to bilingual parents and children
At its August 12 meeting, First 5 Yolo presented a “High Five Award” to the Yolo County Library in recognition of its “Families Reading Together” program. The reading program is funded by First 5 Yolo as part of the Commission’s Integrated Family Support Initiative in support of school readiness for children entering kindergarten.
The Reading Together program is part of an effort by the library to encourage more Yolo County families to enjoy reading and achieve literacy by offering bilingual story time programs in all seven Yolo County libraries.
The story times are conducted in Spanish, English, Russian and American Sign Language.
“Library story times encourage families to provide a home environment supportive of early learning and literacy,” noted Yolo County Librarian Patty Wong upon receiving the award. “Parents tell us there is a change in both their and their child’s behavior after attending regular story times and parenting workshops.”
During the past 12 months more than 3,800 children attended nearly 300 bilingual story times. In addition, more than 700 parents and grandparents attended story times and parenting workshops. Of special note, at least 80 of the participants were fathers or grandfathers.
“We also see parents developing a stronger interest in creating home libraries and exposing their children to reading on a regular basis after participating in the program,” observed Wong.
“We are really excited because we believe encouraging people to come to the library for story time is also creating more information literacy as well as reading literacy,” said Wong. “Parents exposed to the library computers are showing increased interest in using computers and seeing what’s available on the Internet.”
“Signing up for a library card is one small step, but a very powerful one in the start to literacy,” said Nina Lorenzi, coordinator of the Families Reading Together program.
The library took its Reading Together program on the road as well.
Wong told First 5 Yolo Commissioners, “We wanted to reach teenage parents who might not think of coming to the library for a program to help them read to their children. So we went to Cache Creek High School and showed the parents some examples of good books and demonstrated some skills that help engage the little ones when their parents are reading out loud to them.”
The library also provides bilingual parent workshops/involvement groups in all County library locations.
“We are pleased to see the library’s reading program provide such a rich literacy opportunity for Yolo County children; one that helps prepare young bilingual children and their families for school experiences,” said Helen Thomson, Chair of First 5 Yolo and Vice-chairwoman of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
“In fact, I hope as this program takes hold, that you will help Spanish and Russian speaking people become part of our advisory groups and local governments in Yolo County,” Thomson added. “They will become effective advocates for their communities.”
Planned additional initiatives for the Yolo County Library include an annual Dia de los Ninos/ Dia de los Libros festival in Esparto; Russian Story Time in West Sacramento; new library facilities in Winters and West Sacramento; and a toy lending library collaboration housed at the new Arthur F. Turner Community Library in West Sacramento.
“We are working hard to break the cycle of illiteracy,” said Wong.
For information about Yolo County Library story times, call 530-666-8005.
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