Children Learn to Love Reading with
Junior League ABC Literacy Programs

by Rachel G. Breinin

(April 7, 2003) “Every Tuesday, Elsie Valdovinas runs into the Port Chester Childen’s Place to check out her new bag of books. As a participant in the Junior League of Westchester on the Sound’s S.T.A.R. (Sit Together and Read) Readers program, the four-year-old receives a bag of 5 books each week that she and her mother take home to read. By the end of the week, Elsie has memorized the books and sits in front of her classmates and “reads” the books to them.

“The S.T.A.R. Readers program is a huge success,” says the Port Chester Children’s Place director Paula Belli.

Mamaroneck Children's Librarian Marica Hupp and storyteller Jesus Chuquitiaipe with the Junior League's S.T.A.R. readers.

Denise Gilman, the director of the Mamaroneck Child Development Center, is equally pleased with the program. “While we do lots of literacy activities at the school, the S.T.A.R. Readers program achieves our goal of bringing literacy initiatives into the home and involving the parent,” said Gilman. “The parents now understand the importance of reading to their child each night and that’s what will help make their children readers.”

Every parent whose child is enrolled in the S.T.A.R. Readers program attends a kick-off meeting where they learn about the importance of reading to young children and the long-term benefit that reading will have on a child’s life. Each family then receives a tape recorder with batteries that they can keep, their first bag of 5 books and an audiotape. Each week, the child and parent return the bag of books for a new bag and record their progress on the center’s reading chart. After ten bags have been borrowed, the receives a gift – a new book to keep – and a certificate of achievement.

The S.T.A.R. Readers program is one of the many projects run by the ABC Committee of the Junior League of Westchester on the Sound (JLWOS) whose goal is to improve literacy in the area. Over the past four years, the ABC Committee has donated thousands of books to children’s organizations throughout the Sound Shore area. The Committee also sponsors a variety of literacy events designed to promote reading to young children.

In honor of National Library Week, the ABC Committee is sponsoring “Reading, Rocking and Rhyming” story times at the Mamaroneck and Port Chester public libraries. These fun-filled bilingual events with storyteller Jesus Chuquitiaipe feature story telling, nursery rhymes and singing and are designed as a non-threatening way to introduce families to reading. Each child goes home with a goody bag filled with two books, fun items and information about getting a library card and using the library. The story hour at the Mamaroneck Public Library was this Sunday, April 6th, and the one at the Port Chester Public Library story hour is on Saturday, April 12th at 11 a.m.

“Our committee really wanted to remind parents of the importance of reading to their children and how they can make reading a part of their daily routine. It was not enough to just hand out books to families,” said Kim Larsen, the head of the ABC committee of the JLWOS, and a resident of Larchmont. “We have heard firsthand from the parents involved in our various programs at libraries and children’s centers how reading has become part of their lives and how much they and their children enjoy this special time together. It is extremely gratifying to know that we are helping to instill a love of books in young children.”

ABOUT THE JUNIOR LEAGUE

The Junior League of Westchester on the Sound is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Founded in 1950, JLWOS is comprised of women from the Sound Shore communities of New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, Rye Brook, Harrison and Port Chester. Membership is open to women 21 and older. For more information about JLWOS, call 833-2119.