What is Born to Read?
A new program being launched by Webster Ready Start Network is encouraging parents to read to newborns and toddlers to support brain development, help develop early literacy skills, and foster a love of reading.
Born to Read Bags
“Born to Read Bags” is an educational tool kit to help develop a child’s brain from birth to pre-kindergarten. The whole philosophy behind the Born to Read Bag is that we understand and realize the importance of early brain development and we want to become a leader in the community of promoting early brain development, family engagement and kindergarten readiness.
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All babies born at Minden Medical Center will receive a free Born to Read Bag full of resources for brain development and early literacy skills before going home. Each collapsible bag contains a soft cover baby book, snack container, outlet covers, hand sanitizer, and community resource information to help parents, including information on Webster Parish libraries.
Webster Ready Start has partnered with our library system to promote a new early literacy program called “1000 books before Kindergarten”. Each bag contains sign up information for the program. Webster RSN also provides prizes including a free book, when children reach reading milestones in the program. Parents are also encouraged to sign up for Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library,” which provides free books to children from birth until age 5. While newborns can’t read or hold a book, there are benefits when parents interact and read to their children. Research has shown that the more words a child hears by the age of 3, the more likely they are to have the language skills needed to succeed in school.
If you build their brain, you are going to build their life and in turn you are going to build your community. The bags were assembled by Webster Ready Start Advisory Council members and funded by the Believe Early Childhood grant. About 300 bags have been delivered with another 300 anticipated to be donated in the spring.