Senator David Valesky (D – Oneida) stopped by the Sullivan Free Library in Chittenango on Monday so that the Literacy Coalition of Madison County could thank him for securing $12,000 to support efforts to provide age-appropriate books to pre-school students throughout Madison County.
Through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library the coalition and its partners, the libraries throughout the county, identify children who are between the ages of birth and five years old.
Children are enrolled in the Imagination Library, regardless of income status, and receive a high quality, age and developmentally appropriate book each month. The books are mailed directly to the homes of the enrolled children. According to research done by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, reading is the single most important skill necessary for a happy, productive and successful life. A child that is an excellent reader is a confident child, has a high level of self-esteem and is able to easily make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn.
“Establishing reading skills at a young age sets the foundation for performing well in school,” Valesky said. “Children who enter school lagging behind their peers start with a disadvantage that can be very hard to overcome. Thanks to the work of the Madison County Literacy Coalition, all children have the opportunity to receive a new book each month and develop the reading skills that will help them become successful students.”
“Senator Valesky has been a tireless supporter of the coalition and its efforts since our beginning in 2009,” said coalition interim director Mike Drahos. “He supported our efforts as a national finalist in the Grade Level Reading Campaign, and he and his office have been active participants in coalition events during this time.”
According to Drahos, over 1,500 children are now participating in the Imagination Library program in Madison County thanks to the efforts of the coalition, our public and school libraries, and support of many others.
If you know of a child living in Madison County between the ages of birth to five and would like information about the Imagination Library you can contact the coalition by e-mailing Mike at mrdhope@yahoo.com or ask any of our public librarians about how to sign a child up. You can also sign up a child or support this critical effort by visiting http://literacycoalitionmadisoncountyny.org/.