ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Schools kicked off its new Early Literacy Academy for families of students in grades pre-K through second.
The school division has a goal of getting their students at or above grade level for reading by the third grade.
“Everything really hearkens back to being able to read well, to write well, to speak well, to communicate well...all of that starts early,” Superintendent Verletta White said.
However, the teachers and staff can’t do it alone.
A parent’s willingness to read with and to their kids can be a huge benefit. The academy is all about providing resources for parents to succeed in helping their children.
The kickoff event featured a free dinner, free books, and tons of activities, including an opportunity to meet some beloved book characters.
Jonathan Shup tries reading with his daughter each night. He took away several tips after attending Wednesday’s event.
“They were talking a lot about the different types of conversations we can be having with our children that would be supportive in building language skills. There’s some games even.”
It’s not just the parents and schools. There are several community partners within the city that are lending resources to families to try and help.
Jeffrey Wood is a Youth Services Librarian. He handed out multiple free books to families and talked about the importance of reading early.
“One of the most important statistics that you can learn when you’re in education is that getting kids up to reading level before third grade is the most important measure for their success going through school,” Wood said.
The school division is planning other events throughout the summer and into the school year to keep the academy going.
“I think it’s really neat to be part of a school system that’s that invested. They’re putting in an early investment here that’s hopefully later down the road,” Shup said.