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.

Meet your child’s first teacher: YOU!

As a parent, you want the best for your young child. You carefully buckle him into his car seat, insist she wear a helmet while riding her bike, prepare healthy meals for your family and make sure they get plenty of sleep each night. Your young child needs something else that’s as basic as food and water, and that’s your time. Invest just 20 minutes a day into reading with your young child, and you’re nurturing another basic need: literacy.

Parents!

Be sure to visit the library this summer with your children. Sign them up for the summer reading at the library, and watch their love for books blossom! It’s a fun, free way to read with your kids this summer, and a great way to be sure you get in 20 minutes of family reading time each day.

Startling Statistics

The ability to read starts long before a child enters the classroom. It starts as early as birth, when a parent or caregiver takes the time to share a book with a child. And it starts by getting on board the Reading Railroad, by reading together 20 minutes every day. Did you know that reading with a child for just 20 minutes each day has powerful, life-changing benefits? Research shows that reading with a child for 20 minutes daily is a big part of the solution to some staggering problems:

Three out of four children who leave third grade reading below grade level never catch up. The Reading Railroad Campaign wants all Cass County children to get a jumpstart on reading, so they're on track even earlier -- by kindergarten and first grade!
Children who can’t read at their grade level require more resources in school, affecting the pace of learning, and the cost of learning, for all students.
Twenty-six percent of Americans can’t read well enough to understand a pay stub.
Reading is a core survival skill. An aspirin bottle label requires a 10^th-grade reading level. Cake mix directions require a sixth-grade reading level. A driver’s license manual requires a sixth-grade reading level. An insurance policy requires a 12^th-grade reading level.
Reading is a skill directly related to 85% of all economic activity.

Reading Tips for Parents

Leave out a familiar word in a sentence and let your child fill in the blank. For example, “Sam was bouncing his _______.”
Ask your child questions about the story you’re reading: What do you think will happen next? What would you do if you were this character? How do you think the story will end?
Answer your child’s questions, even if they interrupt the story. If she wants to stop reading or skip a few pages, that’s OK, too. Enjoying reading is more important than finishing the book.
Re-enact favorite stories. Choose a book your child loves and ask which character he’d like to play. Have family members take on supporting roles.
Write your own book. Have your child dictate a story to you. Then write one or two sentences per page, leaving room for your child’s illustrations. Punch holes in the pages and tie them together with yarn or ribbons.
Sign up for a library card. Your child will enjoy having his own card and the sense of responsibility that comes with it.
Choose a special place for reading. Pick a quiet, cozy spot away from the TV and radio. Stock it with plenty of books, magazines and newspapers.
Find funny places to read. For example, in a tent or under a tree. Have a family contest to determine “The Most Unusual Place I Ever Read.”
Plan a “reading dinner.” Announce the meal before hand. That night, let everyone bring a book to the table. Talk about each family member’s choice and read excerpts aloud.
Tell stories. Gather the family for a night of storytelling. You can tell true stories or made up tales. This will teach your child about how stories – and books – are created.
Read aloud often. While shopping, read “For sale” posters. You might say, “Great! All shirts are on sale today.” This helps your child associate written words with their meaning.

Involve your child in the story. Have him turn the pages. Or, read one line and have him read the next.
Take your time and don’t rush the story. Your child can tell if you’re in a hurry. Reading slowly will help you read clearly.
Change your voice to show the characters’ feeling – joy, sadness, fear. These variations can make the story more exciting for both of you!
Try difference types of reading materials, such as comic strips and poetry. Remember that you are helping your child learn to enjoy reading.

Click here for easy ways to stay on track