READ Wayne focuses on early childhood literacy development
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 16, 2016 10:00 AM
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News-Argus/PHYLLIS MOORE
Wayne County Public Library offers a "Baby and Me" program every Wednesday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. for parents and grandparents of small children, from birth through 18 months old. Part of the countrywide READ Wayne Coalition, the effort encourages reading and interaction with children.
READ Wayne, which started out earlier in the year as Wayne County Readiness Coalition, is generating funding support and hiring staff to get the message out about the importance of early childhood literacy.
Dr. Dave Tayloe of Goldsboro Pediatrics, whose practice has long participated in the "Reach Out and Read" program, handing out books for young patients from birth, said the coalition was sparked by concern over lagging reading scores and reports of kindergartners arriving at school ill-equipped to learn.
Several meetings were held over the past year as part of a grassroots effort to better engage young children, drawing more than three dozen local agencies, including Partnership for Children, Wayne County Public Schools, Head Start and Communities in Schools.
Wayne County Public Library took the lead in the effort, with United Way of Wayne County pledging $50,000 over the next three years, said Donna Phillips, library director. Other grant funding came in, making it possible to hire three people to work in the program. Allison Pridgen, a 35-year veteran with Wayne County Public Schools, was named the new project manager for READ Wayne.
Heading up the library's program, "Every Child Ready to Read," will be Autumn Scott and Leonor Aarenson, who both had backgrounds in early childhood education. The coordinator position, held by Ms. Scott, is funded through Smart Start and United Way, while the library assistant position held by Aarenson, is supported by a grant through the State Library of North Carolina.
"Now that we're fully staffed, we're able to start moving out to all ends of our county," Mrs. Phillips said.
That is being done in several ways, she explained.
From going to the public housing communities to local waiting rooms where mothers and small children will be, as well as the pregnancy center, it is a "meet them where they are" approach, Mrs. Phillips said.
For example, going into maternity clinics and showing up where well-child visits take place, or the waiting area of social services.
"Many are there and have their children with them," she said. "We thought, what better way to reach groups of mothers, young mothers who are waiting to be seen?"
"My biggest thrust right now is to be out in the community, speaking and increasing awareness so that we have people coming to us saying, how do we help?" Mrs. Pridgen said. The "Every Child Ready to Read" also works with child care providers to help develop the skills they need before learning to read.
Mrs. Phillips said that the hope in the communitywide campaign is to not only improve early literacy, but school readiness, especially among children living in poverty.
"The READ Wayne project will work to correct the disparities found between families with access to resources and those who have limited access," she said.