VENTURA — On May 4 at 10 a.m., more than fifty five celebrity readers will be reading to young children throughout Ventura County to kick off the third annual Take 5 and Read to Kids campaign. The impressive lineup of readers who have committed to taking time out of their day to promote the importance of reading early to young children include Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Assemblymember Dante Acosta, Supervisor Kelly Long, County Executive Officer Mike Powers, Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen, Sheriff Geoff Dean, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth, CSUCI President Erika Beck and many more.
Take 5 and Read to Kids! is a partnership between the Ventura County Star and First 5 Ventura County to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood literacy. Take 5 encourages parents and caregivers to talk, read, and sing with young children ages 0-5 to support their early language and literacy development. Take 5 minutes to read today – that’s what Take 5 is all about!
“For young children, early exposure to books – including being read aloud to each day – is critical for long-term academic success,” said First 5 Ventura County Executive Director Petra Puls. “And yet, in Ventura County, only 58% of children are read to daily,” Puls adds.
“An important element of early education centers on the fundamentals associated with reading,” said Ventura County Star News Director Darrin Peschka. “I am honored that the Ventura County Star is sponsoring the Take 5 and Read to Kids Campaign in our community. We encourage parents and caregivers to talk, read and sing to children from birth on to promote and support early language and literacy development. Studies have proven that this helps to foster a strong foundation and progressive path for learning.”
Economic research shows that early investment in children has a strong return on investment. Early investment is far more effective and less expensive than remediation to help teenagers and young adults catch up later on.
“By age four, 90% of a child’s brain development is complete, laying a foundation for school, work and life. Words build that foundation – even before a child can talk, words help their brain grow” remarked Puls. “During everyday moments, parents and caregivers can talk, read, and sign with kids. For example, read the words and point out colors on a cereal box while shopping.”
Reading at grade level by the third grade is a leading indicator of school success and high school graduation. This pivotal year in a child’s life is when they must make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn. If they don’t, the consequences are dire. Eighty-eight percent of children who never graduate from high school were poorly performing third-grade readers, and high school dropouts earn less than half of college graduates.
As your child’s first and best teacher you can help them succeed in school and in life by reading with them every day, and by following these simple guidelines:
- Read together every day.
- Create your own home library of children’s books.
- For very young children, select books with faces, animals and objects you can point to and talk about.
- Read with fun in your voice by using different voices for different characters.
- Talk to your child and answer their questions. Ask questions of your own and listen to your child’s responses.
- Talk about the words on the page, letter sounds and how we read from left to right and from top to bottom.
This year’s Take 5 event will expand to include celebrity readers at local libraries during their regularly scheduled story times throughout the month of May. Check with your local library for a full list of upcoming events.
Event Details
Who: Parents and caregivers with young children ages 0-5
What: Take 5 and Read to Kids! Celebrity Reader Story Time
When: May 7 – 10, 2018
Where:
o Camarillo Public Library
- Monday 5/7 at 10 a.m. Kara Ralston, CEO, Camarillo Healthcare District
- Tuesday, 5/8 at 10 a.m. Mayor Charlotte Craven and Councilmember Tony Trembly
o Fillmore Library, 5/9 at 11 a.m., Mayor Manuel Minjares
o Hill Road Library, Ventura, 5/9 at 10:30 a.m., Tom Hilton, Radio Peronsality
o Grant R. Brimhall Library, Thousand Oaks, 5/8 at 10:30 a.m., City Manager Andrew Powers
o Ojai Library, 5/9 at 10:30 a.m., County Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Levin
o Over 55 preschools and Neighborhoods for Learning throughout the county
About First 5 Ventura County: Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a significant impact throughout life. Based on this research, California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, adding a 50 cents-per-pack tax on tobacco to support programs for expectant parents and children ages 0 to 5. First 5 Ventura County distributes more than $10 million each year to programs and services that support children’s health, learning and families, including the 11 community based Neighborhoods for Learning (NfLs).
About Ventura County Star: The Ventura County Star has been the undisputed local news leader in Ventura County since 1925. Its award-winning website, VCStar.com, and award-winning daily newspaper provide comprehensive coverage of local news, sports, business, arts and entertainment, and opinion with an emphasis on local news. The Star is at the forefront of creating new niche products that focus on the individual needs of the community.