It’s a fact: Children exposed to reading and literacy-related activities prior to preschool get better grades, are more likely to graduate and go on to college, and realize greater successes as adults. The Children’s Trust Read to Learn (RTL) Book Club, free for all 3-year-olds in Miami-Dade County, is a fantastic way to get them started.
Developing Language & Literacy
The RTL Book Club delivers an age-appropriate book – either in English or Spanish – to every 3-year-old who is a registered member, for every month of their third year. The books cover a variety of subject matters, each one selected to excite, entertain and educate, all at the same time. “A supplemental guide for parents is also mailed to the child’s home with that month’s book, so they can support their children’s language skills and growing literacy,” explains Lisa Blair, president of the Miami-Dade Family Learning Partnership.
Register your child for the Read to Learn Book Club by going to www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/read-learn-book-club. Children younger than 3 years old may be registered, but won't start receiving books until the month of their third birthday.
Children who are visually impaired can enjoy the books in Braille, audio and digital media. For more information, contact the Miami-Dade Family Learning Partnership at 305.891.7323.
Promoting a Love of Words
“Research tells us that the more books there are in the home, the greater the likelihood of later school success,” continues Blair. So by building a home library through the RTL Book Club, parents can highlight how important reading is – and not just for little ones. “Club membership teaches parents how to choose books for their children that build on their prior knowledge and enhance their vocabulary,” says Blair. “It also encourages meaningful family time, when parents and children can unplug and share books together.” And with well-loved, award-winning classics such as RTL Book Club selects The Little Engine that Could, Goodnight Moon, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Corduroy filling their bookshelves and expanding their minds, budding readers will turn to them time and again.
Creating Eager & Excited Readers
“The RTL Book Club helps children develop a reading habit and opens the door to many worlds,” asserts Patricia Leal, a contract manager for The Children’s Trust who oversees the RTL initiative. “The books we provide expose a child to a multitude of things in their environment, each with a different educational experience, and set the foundation for future learning. And they encourage kids to read for pleasure.” Preschoolers, she explains, want to read books over and over, as they become more familiar with the vocabulary. So with the support of their parents and the provided guides, a bridge to reading and lifelong learning can be built and strengthened with each passing month that a child receives a book!
The Read to Learn Book Club is funded by The Trust and made available through a partnership with the Miami-Dade Family Learning Partnership and the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe