Last month, we were very grateful to receive two visits from our friends at the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF). Lund and CLiF have worked together for many years across several Lund programs – Kids-A-Part, Early Childhood, Adoption – but this was the first time we had hosted them at our residential treatment facility for substance use disorders and mental health challenges and our transitional housing program, Independence Place.
One of Lund’s primary goals in working with at risk families is to help instill the importance of early childhood development and increase accessibility to tools that strengthen families. Lund’s partnership with CLiF is in line with our philosophy that parents are their child’s first and most important teachers. These informative events run by CLiF provided parents and families with concrete support and exposure to parent child routines and behaviors that enhance the work happening in our treatment, education and parent/child programs.
Duncan McDougall, Executive Director of CLiF and one of the most engaging and inspiring story tellers you will ever meet, made a presentation about the benefits of reading to children and followed by a book giveaway. At Independence Place, Duncan also read two stories to the children who live there. Initially a little withdrawn, it did not take long before all of the children, aged 4 months to 5 years, were rocking along with Pete the Cat in his school shoes.
Finding the time and energy to read to children can be challenging. It is especially difficult for parents who don’t consider themselves to be strong or confident readers. But the benefits of reading to children are undeniable. CLiF’s website shares the following: “Of all parent-child activities, reading aloud provides the richest exposure to language, so promotion of reading aloud, especially for children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, holds great promise for strengthening school readiness and laying a strong foundation for future educational success.” (Source: Reach Out and Read, Reading Across the Nation: A Chartbook, 2007).
Duncan shared suggestions to help moms begin or strengthen their reading habits with their children:
- Start to read to your children as early as you can. Even during pregnancy is not too soon!
- If you are not sure of the text, look at the pictures and make up the story you want.
- Relate the story and pictures in the book to events, situation or feelings with which your child is familiar.
- Let children pick the books that they want to read.
- Try to establish a regular time to read and do everything you can to honor that time every day.
One of the best ways that CLiF supports families in reading is by giving away brand new books. Each mom attending the recent presentations was able to select two books for their children, including older children who were not living with them at Lund. Duncan arrived at each event with his car filled with books. It is hard not to get lost in the selection as old favorites – Curious George, Owl Moon, A Bargain for Frances -come barreling out of the boxes with beautiful new books to explore. Narrowing the choice down to just two is hard!
Another exciting part of this program for Lund is that CLiF is also donating approximately 100 books to add to the collection of books at the residential facility and at Independence Place. Lund’s family educators were able to look through CLiF’s extensive booklist to select titles that they thought would be popular and relevant to the moms and their children. All of these books are covered in heavy duty library covers, ready to withstand years of reading by the many children who live with their moms at Lund.
We are very grateful for our continued relationship with CLiF and excited to partner again with them in the future. In the meantime, if you need something at Lund, you might have to wait until we’ve finished reading Pete the Cat but don’t worry… it’s all good.
