Info from Mom Central:
Reading just 20 minutes a night with your child can improve literacy by 10 whole school days per year-
In Laura Numeroff’s famous children story, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” she writes, “If you give a mouse a cookie…He is going to ask for a glass of milk.” The story continues where each time the mouse receives something, he continuously wants more.
Now, in this same spirit, Laura Numeroff has
teamed up with Sleepy’s Corporation, and First Book, a non-profit
organization, which seeks to provide new books to children in need to
promote family bedtime reading. The driving force behind the
organization is research that shows reading just 20 minutes a
night with your child can improve literacy by 10 whole school days per
year. Just as a mouse with a cookie will then want a glass of milk, children who unlock critical literacy skills have a host of opportunities open to them that did not exist before. A child who reads “George Washington’s Tooth” may resolve to become President someday. A short story about the first space launch may have your child setting his sights on aeronautics. While these examples may seem ambitious, who, after all, doesn’t want their child reaching for the stars? However, the truth of the matter is that these dreams are positively unattainable if basic literacy is never established.
In the spirit of promoting literacy and growth, Laura would like to encourage parents to make a pledge that they will read to their children at least 20 minutes a night. While the Sleepy corporate contribution contest has ended, take the pledge yourself and honor Laura Numeroff's quest for child literacy today!
