Raising Readers Western New York

This project was initiated to create a partnership with local pediatricians, the West Seneca Central School District, the Rotary Club of West Seneca, the West Seneca Teacher's Association, the West Seneca Public Library, the West Seneca CSEA, the West Seneca Administrators Association and other important volunteers.  Its goal is to increase a child’s success with literacy, through the promotion of parents reading aloud with their infants and young children. 

An infant’s pediatrician is the first professional who meets with a parent in an effort to promote health and wellness.  Pediatricians can also provide advice on the importance of developing early literacy skills through read-aloud activities, and influence a culture of reading within the family. 

This program will focus its efforts on having a pediatrician distribute a book to an infant’s caregiver at identified “well baby” visits.  The book would be kept by the family and the infant’s library would begin to grow.

We will also look to provide books in the “well baby” waiting area of the pediatrician’s office.  These books would be available for older children to read while waiting for their visit and they could also borrow a book to take home.  Books taken home could be returned to the waiting area during the next “well baby” visit.   We will also solicit student volunteers to model reading aloud in the “well baby” waiting area periodically throughout the year.

Current Partners

 Forestream Pediatrics 

West Seneca Teacher’s Association

West Seneca Administrator’s Assn.

West Seneca CSEA

West Seneca Public Library

Raising Readers WNY would like to thank the West Seneca students in the Academy of Digital Media and the Academy of Education for their contributions to this project.

Top Tips for Families for Early Reading and Literacy

• Use the 5 Rs of Early Education in your daily activities with your children, right from birth:
  
  
  1. Read together as a daily, fun, family activity.
  2. Rhyme, play, talk, sing, and cuddle together often throughout the day.
  3. Build Routines for meals, play, and sleep, which help children know what to expect and what is expected of them.
  4. Give Rewards for everyday successes (especially for effort toward goals like helping), understanding that praise from those closest to a child is a very potent reward.
  5. Develop Relationships that are nurturing, reciprocal, purposeful, and lasting, which are the foundations of healthy early brain and child development.