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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Libraries to launch a welcome program


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Island parents will receive a needed assist in the next few months when public libraries kick off a new literacy campaign that targets children ages 1 through 5 — a critical developmental period in preparing a child for reading and writing.

The Hawai'i "Every Child Ready to Read at Your Library" program is based on a national model in which children's librarians help parents with the fundamentals of fostering reading habits.

Research shows that reading readiness is a process that begins years before children go to school. And as any parent will testify, many distractions from reading are thrown into the pathway, television and electronic games on the top of the list.

The state library system is fulfilling its mission of service by spending the training time and curriculum costs in this program, reaching out to the preschools to find their future library patrons. Anything that will boost academic achievement — and encourage reading for pleasure — is a worthy investment.