United Way Volunteers Make a Difference to Preschoolers
For more than 20 years, volunteers across the country have united on National
Make a Difference Day to improve the lives of others in their communities.
Locally, Volunteer! United and Capital Area United Way organized this year's Make A Difference Day on October 21, 2011 to support their 10 year commitment to early childhood education. Volunteers from across the capital area visited 22 child care centers served by Volunteers of America in low-income neighborhoods in the 70805, 70802, 70807, 70811, & 70812 zip codes. They read a book to the toddlers and prechoolers in several classrooms and then gave the donated books to the center. Others supported the project by collecting or donating books.
Volunteers of America's Partnerships in Child Care programs provide training to early childhood teachers on the importance of reading to infants, toddlers and preschoolers on a daily basis. According to the Children's Reading Foundation, just 20 minutes a day reading aloud with young children strengthens relationships, encourages listening and language skills, promotes attention and curiosity, and establishes a strong reading foundation. These skills are essential for success in school and in life. It takes hundreds of hours of “lap time” for a child to acquire the pre-literacy skills necessary for learning to read early and well. From birth to age five, the pleasant activity of listening to and talking about stories trains a child's brain, ears, and eyes for eventual success in learning
to read.