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SALT LAKE CITY -- Teaching kids how to read can't start and stop with children. Researchers at Weber State University have a literacy program that revolves around the whole family, and it's helped them in more ways than just reading.
The long-term hope and goal is that children become readers, learners, and the parents become better at parenting and more involved with their children.
–Paul Schvaneveldt, director, WSU Family Literacy Project
A reading throne fit for a queen is just one attraction of the Treehouse Museum. More than a 100 Ogden families get free memberships as part of Weber State's literacy program.
"We've got a lot of good family time," says father Nick Pierson. "It puts us here as a family and reading books at nighttime."
That's the idea: bringing families together through a support network. Deseret Industries provides the families with books, and program organizers from the university make house visits to teach families basic skills.
Data shows the program is making a difference in building literacy that will help break the cycle of poverty.
"Abby, being just barely 5, is reading better to us than she would without the program," says mother Darcie Pierson.
Interestingly, researchers also found the program helped build parenting skills and family routines, and improved discipline.
"The long-term hope and goal is that children become readers, learners, and the parents become better at parenting and more involved with their children," says Paul Schvaneveldt, director of Weber State University's Family Literacy Project.
With our Read Today Summer Reading Challenge, KSL is also promoting literacy. Right now more than 2,800 Utah students are tracking their reading, and they've logged close to 800,000 minutes.
We issued a challenge over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend: the top 100 readers would get Iceberg shakes. The top two readers were Kyra, from North Lake Elementary School in the Tooele School District, and Aaron, from Park Elementary School in the Nebo School District.
These super readers and 98 others will get their rewards soon.
Sign up your kids for our Read Today Summer Reading Challenge on by clicking HERE so they can win prizes.
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
