Hop on Pop by Dr. Suess was the first book that I could read independently and The Boxcar Children was my first chapter book. My parents read to my sister and I every night before bed. Mom says that the only reason they read to us was to help settle us before going to bed. Turns out, reading a daily book before bed is one of the best things they could have done for my sister and I.
My college degree is in Early Childhood Education from the University of Missouri. During my coursework, the importance of childhood literacy was emphasized daily.
Literacy starts from birth- hearing others speak, looking at how words are formed with the mouth, and how to handle units of print. i.e. books, newspapers, magazines, etc.
Recognizing environmental print like “McDonald’s” or “Wal-Mart” on a sign is another step in childhood literacy before getting formal instruction at school.
When I was a kid I didn’t know any of these things- I just knew that books were fun to look at and the stories were interesting. I read so much as a kid that my mom threatened to take my books away (the very ones she bought for me) so I would do my chores. As an adult, my favorite pastime is still reading.
My educational background and passion for reading inspired this program. During the summer kids can experience the “summer slide” or loss of knowledge from what they had accomplished during the school year- a recent article states up to 27%. (scholastic article)
The program is simple- pick up a reading log- fill it out- bring it to The Farmer’s Daughter and receive a coupon for 1 scoop of Spring Dipper ice cream. Pre-emergent readers need to have 16 books read to them. Readers need to independently read 8 books.
If this program can inspire kids to read- just 8 books, this will help them retain the reading strategies and skills that were attained during the previous school year. This program is different because it focuses on children from birth to high school. If the kids are pre-emergent (or not yet reading) parents/caregivers can read books to them and they can still get the ice cream reward. Obviously, a baby can’t eat the ice cream but the benefit of having books read to him/her can be the foundation of a successful and long-lasting relationship with books.
I hope this program inspires parents to take time to read to their children and encourage their older kids to take time to read for themselves. It’s not always about how many points or the grades you receive for reading. Summer provides unstructured time to just enjoy the amazing authors and books that are out there.
