The Kansas Health Foundation has awarded a $25,000 recognition grant to the Johnson County Library Foundation to fund the Johnson County Library’s new 6 By 6, Ready to Read: Six Skills by Six Years early childhood literacy program. The program will inform parents and caregivers of preschool-aged children about early literacy research and how they can help prepare children to be ready to read.
The 6 by 6 Ready to Read program will have a special emphasis on serving low-income families with special skill-cards kits featuring early literacy activities for families and showcasing the artwork of Brad Sneed, a locally-based children's illustrator. The 6 By 6, Ready to Read program will position the Johnson County Library as an important early literacy resource available free of charge to the community. 6 by 6 refers to the six pre-reading skills children can start learning from birth and should acquire by around age six for children to be successful in learning to read:
Print Motivation – Have Fun with Books
Vocabulary – Talk, Talk, Talk
Print Awareness – Notice Print All Around You
Narrative Skills – Tell Stories about Everything
Letter Knowledge – Look for Letters
Phonological Awareness – Take Time to Rhyme
"The generous Kansas Health Foundation grant will provide the Johnson County Library the opportunity to emphasize early childhood literacy. It will help the Library spread the 6 by 6, Ready to Read message to the community and provide resource for those that are underserved," said County Librarian Donna Lauffer. "The pilot program will begin at Antioch Library this fall," she stated.
"The recognition grant program gives us the opportunity to work directly with organizations and communities doing innovative and meaningful work throughout the state,” said Steve Coen, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation. “We believe the 6 by 6, Ready to Read program will have a significant and lasting impact on the children of Johnson County."
The Kansas Health Foundation is a private philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans. For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation, please visit www.kansashealth.org.
The Johnson County Library Foundation's mission is to build an endowment for the Library's collection and secure support for life-long learning programs offered at Johnson County Library. The organization, established in 1998, supports collection enrichment, youth homework assistance, art programs, early literacy initiatives, youth-at-risk programs and technology enhancement. The Foundation is widely known for its signature fundraising event, the Pinnacle Awards, held each fall, which recognizes community leaders in the arts, entrepreneurship, literacy and public engagement. The IRS recognizes the Foundation as a 501(c)3 organization and a 509(a)1 public charity, making all charitable gifts to the foundation 100% tax deductible. For more information, contact the Foundation office at (913) 495-7579 or visit www.jocolibraryfoundation.org.
