Reading Program for Cass County Indiana

A campaign to change lives in Cass County, Indiana by supporting parents as their child's first teacher,
to help them achieve their utmost by Kindergarten and first grade.

We need your help!

Let’s face it; this is not a job for our educators alone. Literacy begins much sooner than a child’s first day of kindergarten, and it’s going to take every member of our community to help us achieve this goal. The Reading Railroad is a county-wide program that’s funded by a temporary grant from the Lilly Foundation. Community education is at the heart of the campaign, and key audiences include parents of young children as well as those who work with these families (schools, libraries, hospitals, social service agencies and more).

The Reading Railroad’s message, “Read together 20 minutes every day,” is aimed at the entire community. The campaign’s goals are to:

Teach all parents/caregivers that they are a child’s first teacher. By reading to their children starting at birth, parents can help their children begin the long journey to success later in life. When our children come to kindergarten ready to learn, we will all reap the benefits. The Reading Railroad urges parents and caregivers to read to their children 20 minutes every day.
Collaborate with schools, churches, libraries, hospitals, social service agencies and many other community businesses and organizations to help families get on board the Reading Railroad and spread the message about the importance of its 20 minute miracle.

I think I can, I think I can…

Do you remember this story from your childhood years? The little engine faced a great challenge, but with courage and faith, it realized success little by little. Many families in our community face challenges, too. Economic, social, cultural and other barriers may make the Reading Railroad message and goals seem daunting at first. But the fact is, lack of attention from parents is the single-most preventable cause of poor reading skills in children. Regardless of economic, educational or cultural background, poor reading is a problem that can affect all children. Nearly one out of every three students reading below grade level has parents who are college educated.

Children learn to read through habit and experience, regardless of how much education or money a family has. Whether rich or poor, kids whose parents do not read to them are at a higher risk of falling behind. The Reading Railroad’s solution is simple: from an early age, read to your kids for 20 minutes, every day, and send them on a life-long journey that leads to success.