By Dalton Black, Executive Director
As one of our first Community Impact projects, KidFEST was developed as part of our Literacy Initiative in 2015. Early reading is the first step to academic success. The United Way Worldwide Education Agenda links early reading to kindergarten readiness. Kindergarten readiness has a direct link to third grade reading proficiency. And, third grade reading proficiency is tied to high school completion.
Thanks for our partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, we know that when parents and caregivers read to their children, it exposes them to a larger, more diverse vocabulary and greater variety of sentence structures that just talking to them. Children develop concepts of print, alphabetic knowledge, phonological awareness and improved memory – all essential skills leading to school readiness and future academic success.
Reading aloud to children at a young age can positively impact their brain development: When preschool children listen to stories, it activates the areas of their brains that are associated with processing images and narrative comprehension.
Pediatrics – Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Due to COVID-19, we had to make some tough decisions about how to still have KidFEST without risking exposure to those who attended. In 2021, we modified it to a drive-thru event. It was more coordination on our end, but we were so excited to see that we were actually able to pass out more books by having multiple sites. So, we’ve decided to do it this way again in 2022!
KidFEST will be from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 16 at:
- Slate Creek Elementary – Newton
- Hesston Elementary – Hesston
- Kansas Learning Center for Health – Halstead
- Burrton High School – Burrton
- The Meeting House – Sedgwick
Reading together is the single most important way to help children get ready to read. Parents can support their child’s education and cognitive development by sharing books as part of their everyday routine. Establishing these critical connections and communication pathways helps families prepare young children prior to entering school. Simple tasks such as looking at pictures in the books and reading aloud together not only supports the literacy growth, but also builds a special bond and supports a child’s social and emotional development.
Join us in ensuring children in our community have access to books. Encourage families to sign-up their child for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and attend KidFEST for free books!
The United Way 