WES early literacy initiatives include a book and a bunny
By Patricia Nugent
Wonder what kind of difference reading to your preschoolers can make?
According to a study by the Ohio State University, children who have up to five books read aloud to them each day will have heard more than 1.4 million more words than those who have not by the time they reach kindergarten.
An early love of reading is a game-changer on many levels. Children raised in a literacy-rich environment enjoy myriad advantages including better vocabulary, sharper reading skills, boosted creativity and imagination.
And that’s what makes the recent Book and a Bunny Project so darn special. A joint effort between North and South High School students, the preschool and curriculum department of the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District, the annual initiative is two-fold: High school students read to the preschoolers in the classroom, and then they distribute Book and a Bunny Bags to the students to take home for spring break and read with their families. Each bag contains a book and an adorable stuffed bunny.
“This initiative encourages a love of reading in the homes of our preschool students,” says Supervisor Camille Ritt, who notes the project started in 2018. “Early literacy development is a primary focus at the Willoughby-Eastlake Preschool as well as a district initiative.”
The 250 preschoolers enjoy the attention from the “big” students during the reading. The high schoolers work in pairs, reaching all of the nine preschool classrooms. After each reading, they are encouraged to also join the students for the remainder of that class period.
Camille reports a similar program that fosters reading enjoyment and at-home reading is the Stocking and a Story Program, held the week before winter break in December. Preschoolers are sent home with a book in a stocking.
Look for these monthly stories to cover topics from grades K-12 in the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools System. Interested in donating to the program? Contact Gina Kevern, 440-946-5000, at the Board of Education, or Camille Ritt at the Willoughby-Eastlake Preschool, Camille.ritt@weschools.org. Find out more at WESchools.org.