ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., December 8, 2016 – Every fall and spring season, the Early Learning Coalition of North Florida (ELC) host a book-bag distribution for both three and four-year-old children in Putnam, St. Johns, Clay, Bradford, Baker and Nassau counties.
In 2016, more than 1000 book bags were distributed to local child care and preschool classrooms. Each bag consisted of 10 age-appropriate books as well as information for parents about the importance of reading to children.
The bags were delivered to the children by ELC volunteers, ELC Early Outreach Manager Joan Whitson and various children’s book characters. This year’s characters included Eric Litwin’s Pete the Cat and Curious George.
“At ELC, we want to provide books for every child, especially those from families with lower incomes so they all can have the same advantages that reading brings,” Joan Whitson, Early Literacy Outreach Manager said.
Studies show children who are read to at an early age is the single biggest factor in improved school readiness scores and vocabulary in young children. ELC funds this program through grants, book donations and donations from local civic groups.
ELC welcomes groups to conduct book drives for them. The books need to be pre-school age appropriate. To help support this program contact Joan Whitson at 904-342-2267 or jwhitson@elcnorthflorida.org.
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Curious George and ELC of North Florida volunteers deliver book bags to children at God’s Little Creations Learning Center in Palatka.
Pete the Cat and Joan Whitson, ELC of North Florida Early Literacy Outreach Manager, read books from the book bag project to hildren at Seaside School in St. Augustine.
Special guest Pete the Cat and Joan Whitson, ELC of North Florida Outreach Manager, read books from the book bag project to the children at Miss Kate’s Preschool in Fernandina Beach.
ELC reading volunteer Sara Pines and special guest Curious George read books from the book bag project to children at Green Gables Learning Center in Palatka.