Byesville Rotary tackles literacy project

Pictured: Shana Fair, Byesville Rotary President; Stephanie Laube, Executive Director of the Guernsey and Noble Counties United Way; and Becky Bruner, Speaker Chair.

 

Shana Fair, president of the Byesville Rotary, explained that education is an important focus for Rotary service projects. Fair said that as the Library Director of the OU Zanesville and Zane State Library she often worked with local students who were struggling with completing all the assigned class reading. Fair stated that she wanted to find a club project that would help young children prepare for school by improving their reading. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a program with a successful record of improving childhood literacy skills.

Stephanie Laube, Executive Director of the Guernsey and Noble Counties United Way, described how the Dolly Parton program works. Laube explained Dolly Parton requires a local partner to administer the program. The United Way began sponsoring the program 2 years ago in response to an assessment of community needs that identified a need to improve early childhood literacy skills.

Laube stated the Dolly Parton program will provide a child with books for a cost of $25 per year until the child reaches his or her 5^th birthday. Laube said that her goal is to guarantee a child books for 5 years. She will only register a child for the program when she has a total of $125 donated to the program.

Laube explained that studies indicate that the first 3 years of life are crucial for the development of literacy skills. Exposing a child to books and reading is a proven method to help a child develop these necessary skills. Studies following children who have participated in the Dolly Parton program indicate that children whose parents read to them will be 10 times more prepared for school than children whose parents do not read to them.

Laube went on to point out that even if parents do not read to their child, a child who has books in his/her home and who just looks at the pictures and turns the pages will be 4 times better prepared for school than children who are not exposed to books.

Laube said the she has a waiting list of children waiting to enter the program. Fair has set a goal for her club of raising funds to provide books for 10 children.

Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.

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