EDITORIAL: Early reading fosters lifetime learning

Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, March 1, 2022

This week, local students will explore a world of characters through the world of Theodor Geisel’s Dr. Seuss. 

It’s Read Across America Week, which honors the author’s birthday each year by promoting literacy and learning. 

Literacy skills, developing them in students when they are young, is a vital foundational step in promoting lifetime learning and fostering literate families. 

March is also National Literacy Month. Research indicates that children’s literacy skills are strongly linked to the educational level of their parents, especially their mothers. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents start reading out loud to their children from the time they are born.

A large body of research has also shown that children who are exposed to books at a young age go on to have stronger vocabulary skills, higher literacy, pay attention and concentrate better, and are better prepared going into kindergarten.

How can we support this effort in our lives and the lives of others? Parents can do so by reading to their children at home and exposing them to activities that foster a love of reading. Although our local libraries were impacted by the pandemic as every other aspect of our lives has been, the library is open to the public, offering books and a variety of programming to spark a love for reading. 

In addition, there are several Little Free Libraries scattered throughout our community. Some churches also have free libraries. Communities in Schools Milledgeville-Baldwin County also offers support and resources in local schools for parents and children who need them.

The impact of being exposed to these kinds of activities extends on into adulthood as well. 

When we take a closer look at our economy — on every level — local, state and nationwide, literacy and job skills development cannot be overlooked as it correlates to jobs growth.

Low-level literacy skills not only impact the individual but also have a significant effect on the community’s growth and development if locals are impacted. It is equally as much an individual’s issue as it is an issue for the whole community.

When children read at home as a regular practice in addition to at school, it is more likely that their younger siblings will develop the same tendency, and children who grow up in a family environment where reading is commonplace are more likely to carry over the same practice into adulthood. Thus the cycle continues, where reading and the value of literacy enhances their lives, their children’s lives and beyond.

When we focus on literacy and improving the reading skills of our young people, it causes a ripple effect that has a lasting impact on individuals, families and the overall quality of life of the entire community. 

We should all look to set that kind of example.